Feature: Photographer pulls focuses on snow leopard

Wildlife photographer Geng Dong has braved perilous, snow-capped mountains across the Tibetan Plateau in search of a beautiful, yet allusive, subject -- the snow leopard.

Snow leopards have great eyesight and are mostly active after dark, choosing to seek shelter among rocks or caves during daylight. This behavior has earned them the nickname "mountain hermits" by scientists who could only study them with the help of sensitive infrared cameras.

Geng, on the other hand, has braved the frigid air for hours, weeks, and sometimes days, at a time, posed to capture these beautiful animals. His patience and endurance have paid off, and he has captured lone snow leopards as well as cubs in the shadow of their watchful mothers: An enviable experience for any wildlife photographer.

"It's a game of luck," he admitted.

However, he acknowledged, his presence can sometimes be a threat to the snow leopard. Once, when he was photographing a mother and her two cubs, he realized something was wrong: Spooked by his presence, the cubs had fled from their mother and the longer he stayed, the more dangerous it was for the cubs, as the mountains were full of predators.

"At that moment, my pictures were less important than ensuring a family reunion," said Geng.

After co-directing the TV documentary series "Snow Leopard," which won numerous national awards, Geng turned his camera to the animal's life on the Tibetan Plateau, "to give locals more exposure to the animal and its conservation."

The Tibetan documentary is the result of four years of hard work, with Geng traveling to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau dozens of times. He has developed strong relationships with wildlife conservation groups and scientists that are engaged in tracking, studying and photographing the snow leopard.

The crew remained professional and committed throughout the arduous undertaking, despite being battered by icy winds and fighting for breath in the thin air. Often the crew would be camped out on the cold, bleak terrain for weeks, and as well as weakness due to the severe temperatures, many suffered from snow blindness, too.

The crew team covered more than 40,000 kilometers in Qinghai Province from 2011 to 2015. Along the way, Geng has worn many hats: director,photographer, and producer. The latter of which gave him the biggest headache -- money.

Yet despite the hardships of driving a project such as this, giving up never crossed his mind. "Locals have much harder lives than ours."

Geng said the documentary also profiles wildlife conservation and the relationship between snow leopards and the local community, whom he says are "the core of the story."

Take Sori, who herds a flock of 240 sheep and a few dozen yak. He has struggled to protect his animals from snow leopards that stalk the plateau, Geng explained. Once, almost at tipping point after loosing many of his animals, he took aim at one of these "hated cats."

Despite having the cat in his sight, he did not squeeze the trigger because he saw a cub nearby, which reminded him of his own children, Geng explained.

Geng was moved by the harmonious relationship between people and wild animals on "the roof of the world", which he said, can be partly attributed to the influence of Tibetan Buddhism.

"Many shepherds have no idea of environment protection, but they understand the Buddhist teaching that all living beings should be cherished."

Another story that left an impression on Geng concerned Buddhist monk Drukgyab, who choose to live in the wilderness, rather than at the temple.

The monk is known for his pioneering environmental protection work, as he persuades locals to not hunt wild animals and, along with the scientific community, he is often one of the first to spot snow leopards in the wild.

"He protects snow leopards from hunters because he believes the animal is weak; when he drives the snow leopard away from sheep, it is because he thinks the sheep are weak."

"He cannot bear to see a life wasted," Geng said.

Animal conservation is a trickle-down business. If big animals are protected, then so, too, are thousands of other species, and by association, the water resources will also be protected, said He Bing, a project officer of Shanshui, a leading wildlife conservation NGO.

However, little is known about the species, or its numbers and distribution.

Snow leopards are mainly found in central Asia. It is estimated that about 2,000 live in China's Qinghai, Xinjiang, Tibet, Sichuan and Gansu.

The endangered species faces many challenges.

He Bing said that besides climate change, poaching, urbanization and pasture expansion also threaten the endangered animal.

"The destiny of snow leopards is the destiny of all creatures in the world," said Zhou Bing, chief director of the documentary.

"Some say you captured too little of snow leopard in your documentary. I don't mind. I hope my work can make people aware of the animal and its fight for survival," Geng said. Endit