Latest news with #QilianMountains
The Independent
a day ago
- Science
- The Independent
Rare species return to Qilian Mountains
The Qilian Mountains in Northwest China have come nearly full circle from four decades ago when the flora and fauna were threatened by deforestation, grazing and poaching. The 620-mile mountain range separating Qinghai and Gansu provinces is today hailed as an oasis surrounded by desert. The towering peaks of the Qilian Mountains capture warm, moist air from the southeast, creating abundant precipitation. This climate and the various ecological environments in the area have fostered diverse habitats for numerous wildlife species, including snow leopards, wild yaks and black-necked cranes. 'We came across two snow leopards during a patrol,' recalled Lang Wenrui, deputy director of the Sunan branch of the Zhangye ecology and environment bureau, which administers part of the mountain range. 'They were drinking by a water source, only about 16 feet away from us.' Lang, a photography enthusiast, spends most of his year patrolling the Qilian Mountains. 'I've been searching for snow leopards for 15 years during patrols,' he said. 'In the first 10 years, I didn't see a single one, but in the past five years, I've encountered over a dozen.' The snow leopard population in the Qilian Mountains has been rapidly recovering, an epitome of the results of continuous conservation efforts. 'Sightings of snow leopards in the wild are more frequent, and the range within which these leopards make their presence known is steadily expanding,' said Pei Wen, director of the management centre of Gansu's Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve. The number of snow leopards in Gansu's Qilian Mountain and Yanchiwan national nature reserves has reached approximately 700, according to Ma Duifang, head of the wildlife management department at the Zhangye branch of the Gansu Qilian Mountain National Park Administration. Restoring the snow leopard population is crucial, Ma said. 'Snow leopards are a flagship and umbrella species in the Qilian Mountains, sitting at the top of the ecosystem's food chain. They are closely linked to many other wildlife species in the region,' he said. 'For example, the bearded vulture, which is not a strong hunter, relies on the carcasses of prey caught by snow leopards as a vital food source. Meanwhile, the populations of blue sheep, red deer and musk deer — primary prey for snow leopards — are kept in check by their predation.' He said snow leopards are like 'the thermometer of the alpine ecosystem'. 'When their population structure and numbers are balanced, it signals a healthy ecosystem. Conversely, if their numbers are declining or they're on the brink of extinction, it suggests there are broader issues with the environment,' he said. In 2017, the Qilian Mountains were designated as a pilot national park, covering 19,380 square miles. The region was divided into core protection and general control zones, and residents in the core protection zone were encouraged to participate in ecological migration. 'The aim is to preserve a complete natural ecosystem for future generations,' said Guo Shengxiang, deputy director of the Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve's management centre. The government provided the migrants homes and subsidies to offset grazing bans, and offered them positions as forest rangers or alternative livelihood training. 'In the Gansu section of Qilian Mountain National Park, we've employed 2,425 forest rangers, most of whom are local migrants,' Guo said. Ma Jiancheng, head of the Xiangyangtai resource management centre of Sidalong station, which is part of the Qilian Mountain reserve, has been working as a forest ranger for 26 years. Each month, he and his colleagues spend at least 20 days patrolling deep in the mountains at altitudes above 9,840 feet. Now, their work is empowered by technology, as each ranger is equipped with a programme on their phones to record their patrol routes. If they spot wildlife or signs of human activity, they immediately take photos and upload them to the programme. 'Moreover, the rangers regularly conduct aerial patrols using drones, and video monitoring towers and infrared cameras have been set up to better monitor wildlife movements, human activities and fire warnings,' Ma Jiancheng said. 'The results of the environmental and ecological protection efforts over the years have been very evident. Nowadays, we often see wildlife such as musk deer, red deer, blue sheep, blue eared pheasants, golden eagles and even snow leopards during patrol,' he added. Data from the Qilian Mountain reserve's management centre shows that the reserve is now home to 360 species of wildlife, including 24 species under national first-class protection.
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Paraglider accidentally pulled 28,000ft into the air in -40C conditions receives stern punishment from Chinese communist authorities after he went viral
A paraglider who was accidentally dragged 28,000ft into the air in -40C conditions has received a stern punishment from Chinese communist authorities after he went viral. Peng Yujian has been banned from paragliding for six months after the ordeal which saw him soaring in line with flight paths at nearly the height of Mount Everest. The Chinese paraglider began from an elevation of around 9,800ft in the Qilian mountain range in northern China on Saturday. He had intended to test a new second-hand equipment purchase without making a proper flight, according to an investigative report by the Gansu Provincial Aviation Sports Association. But just 20 minutes into his practice, he became trapped in a strong updraft which blasted him over 16,000ft higher into the icy air. Frightening footage from Peng's mounted camera revealed the severity of the conditions the paraglider had to endure. Visibility was poor as he was rapidly sucked to high altitudes over the snow-topped mountains while he struggled to cling on to his parachute. He was seen soaring above the clouds and covered in icicles as the temperature plummeted to a reported -35C as he tried to regain control over his equipment. The paraglider, who miraculously survived the chilling ordeal, managed to catch a clip moment of the incident on camera which has now made its rounds on social media The paraglider was not wearing an oxygen mask which left him fully exposed to the dangerous elements. However, Peng miraculously remained conscious throughout the ordeal and managed to successfully land his parachute safely. Following the incident, he recalled experiencing hypoxia and having his hands exposed to the freezing cold temperatures above the clouds, according to local reports. 'I just kept communicating over the radio the entire time,' he said The paraglider was left with extensive frostbite following the ordeal. Authorities praised Peng's survival, conceding it was an accident. A 'normal person cannot be exposed at 8,000metres without oxygen [so] this is not something that can be done voluntarily' said a sports bureau official, according to Sixth Tone. But Peng, who has around five years' experience paragliding, had never intended to leave ground level meaning he had not registered any flight plans. Under regulations, this meant his ordeal was 'not subject to relevant approvals', the report said. In response he was banned from flying for six months. The bureau report, based on an interview with Peng, said he was in the air for more than an hour, and had stayed in radio contact with his friend, Gu Zhimin, who was still on the ground. The report said he had attempted to return to land but his efforts were 'ineffective', and as he flew higher he became confused and briefly lost consciousness. Peng was eventually able to land about 30km from the launch site, where he was met by Gu and another friend. Gu later posted a video of Peng's flight and comments on the ground to Douyin, China's domestic version of TikTok, where it soon went viral. 'Gu Zhimin posted a flight video without permission, which had a bad impact,' the report said. 'He was grounded for six months and asked to write a report to deeply reflect on the negative impact of his behaviour.' The bureau said any record broken by Peng's flight would not be officially counted because his flight was not registered. Chinese national aviation sports regulations state that aerial activities need prior airspace approval from air traffic control. Paragliding activities have to be carried out according to a pre-arranged plan, and trips are prohibited under adverse weather conditions. Changing flight plans without authorisation is also not allowed.
ABC News
30-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Paraglider Peng Yujiang survives after being sucked 8km in the air over China
A paraglider has shared his extraordinary story of survival after being unexpectedly lifted into the upper atmosphere during a flight, reaching an altitude of 8,598 metres without oxygen, and narrowly escaping death. Peng Yujiang, 55, was conducting a routine equipment test on Saturday at a training site about 3,000m above sea level in north-west China's Gansu Province, when he was lifted in an unexpected updraft over the Qilian Mountains. "I had just bought a second-hand paragliding harness and wanted to test it. So I was conducting ground parachute shaking. After a while, the wind suddenly picked up and lifted me into the air. I tried to land as soon as possible, but I failed," Mr Peng told China Media Group. What started as a calm session quickly turned dangerous when a sudden surge of wind pulled him into rapidly forming cumulonimbus clouds. Despite trying to descend, he became trapped in the cloud system. "I found myself surrounded by cumulonimbus clouds and trapped inside," he said. "It was terrifying — everything around me was white. Without the compass, I wouldn't have known which direction I was heading. "I thought I was flying straight, but in reality, I was spinning. Eventually, I managed to fly out toward the north-east." Experts said Mr Peng encountered a rare and dangerous phenomenon known as "cloud suck", a condition in which strong convective updrafts carry paragliders to extreme altitudes. Inside such clouds, experts explained that temperatures can plummet to -40 degrees Celsius and oxygen levels are severely low. Without an oxygen mask and with his face exposed, Mr Peng endured freezing conditions as ice crystals formed on his face, body and equipment. His gloves were not fully zipped, leaving his hands numb and nearly frozen. Still, he managed to control his paraglider using his compass and radio communication with teammates. "As soon as I came out of the clouds, I was very excited because I had survived. The scariest moment was when I tried to pull out of the spiral and failed and when the canopy nosedived. It's still frightening to think about. I'm not sure about the future, but for now I definitely won't fly for a while," he said. Looking back at his flight data, he was shocked to learn he had reached 8,598 meters — far higher than he had realised mid-air. He suspects he may have briefly lost consciousness during descent. Mr Peng has been paragliding for four and a half years and holds a B-level licence — China's second tier in a five-level system, requiring at least 20 days of flight experience and a minimum of 40 individual flights. The Gansu provincial aeronautical sports association issued a report on Wednesday, local time, saying that ground parachute shaking does not require prior approval and that Mr Peng's experience was entirely an unforeseen accident. However, Mr Peng was still handed a six-month flight suspension, as the flight site and airspace had not been approved in advance. Reuters/ABC
RNZ News
29-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Chinese paraglider survives accidental flight in the clouds without oxygen
By Jennifer Hauser , CNN Chinese paraglider Peng Yujiang says he "definitely won't fly for a while" after surviving high altitude accident. Photo: CCTV via Reuters via CNN Newsource Chinese paraglider Peng Yujiang is lucky to be back on the ground after surviving a powerful updraft that suddenly lifted him into the upper atmosphere above the Qilian Mountains in China's Gansu Province on Saturday. Peng reportedly went soaring 8,598 metres or about 28,208 feet without oxygen; amateur video shared by Chinese state media showed Peng with ice covering his face and clothes while drifting in the clouds. "I had just bought a second-hand paragliding harness and wanted to test it, so I was conducting ground parachute shaking. After a while, the wind suddenly picked up and lifted me into the air. I tried to land as soon as possible, but I failed," Peng told Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) on Tuesday. "I found myself surrounded by cumulonimbus clouds and trapped inside. It was terrifying - everything around me was white. Without the compass, I wouldn't have known which direction I was heading. "I thought I was flying straight, but in reality, I was spinning. Eventually, I managed to fly out toward the northeast," he added. Peng said he was shocked to learn he reached such a high altitude and believe he might have briefly lost consciousness, state media reported. Peng had been paragliding for more than four years and is a certified B-level paraglider which required at least 20 days of flight experience, per CCTV. He was able to control his paraglider using his compass and radio communication with teammates despite having nearly frozen and numb hands, state media reports. "As soon as I came out of the clouds, I was very excited because I had survived. The scariest moment was when I tried to pull out of the spiral and failed and when the canopy nosedived. It's still frightening to think about," Peng told CCTV. "I'm not sure about the future, but for now I definitely won't fly for a while," he added. - CNN
CTV News
29-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Chinese paraglider survives accidental flight in the clouds without oxygen
A Chinese paraglider survived being accidentally propelled more than 27,000 feet into the sky in northern China. Chinese paraglider Peng Yujiang is lucky to be back on the ground after surviving a powerful updraft that suddenly lifted him into the upper atmosphere above the Qilian Mountains in China's Gansu Province Saturday. Peng reportedly went soaring 8,598 metres or about 28,208 feet without oxygen; amateur video shared by Chinese state media showed Peng with ice covering his face and clothes while drifting in the clouds. 'I had just bought a second-hand paragliding harness and wanted to test it, so I was conducting ground parachute shaking. After a while, the wind suddenly picked up and lifted me into the air. I tried to land as soon as possible, but I failed,' Peng told Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) Tuesday. 'I found myself surrounded by cumulonimbus clouds and trapped inside. It was terrifying — everything around me was white. Without the compass, I wouldn't have known which direction I was heading. I thought I was flying straight, but in reality, I was spinning. Eventually, I managed to fly out toward the northeast,' he added. Peng says he was shocked to learn he reached such a high altitude and believe he might have briefly lost consciousness, state media reports. Peng has been paragliding for more than four years and is a certified B-level paraglider which requires at least 20 days of flight experience, per CCTV. He was able to control his paraglider using his compass and radio communication with teammates despite having nearly frozen and numb hands, state media reports. 'As soon as I came out of the clouds, I was very excited because I had survived. The scariest moment was when I tried to pull out of the spiral and failed and when the canopy nosedived. It's still frightening to think about,' Peng told CCTV. 'I'm not sure about the future, but for now I definitely won't fly for a while,' he added. Written by Jennifer Hauser, CNN
