Wildlife snapper trains lens on plateau

In 2015, he tracked a flock of falcons for more than 40 consecutive days and captured photographs of their life on wings. Seeing the older falcons taking care of a brood of fledglings, he was astounded by the resemblance between the animal world and the human world.

"The male falcon would fly out to forage at 6 am to feed the chicks and this reminded me of how human parents treat their babies," Bao says, adding that, be it animals or humans, both love their children the same way.

This experience impelled Bao to devote himself to pursuing wildlife photography. He once stayed alone for nine days in a canyon cave at an altitude of nearly 4,000 meters, in order to completely record the living conditions of snow leopards.

Under China's highest national-level protection, and listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, snow leopards are Bao's favorite subject for photography.

"The snow leopards always walk with confidence and even when they encounter humans, they don't run away," Bao says, adding that he shivers with excitement every time he spots a member of the rare species.

Despite his obsession with capturing thrilling moments, Bao refrains from luring animals closer to get a good picture. He always maintains a distance of more than 200 meters from his subject when shooting.