Wildlife

China’s Southwest is a lush and fecund region, flourishing and composite ecosystems abound wherever you glance. The sheer wealth of regional ecosystem diversity is a dazzling draw card for travelers, botanists and researchers. Spanning from lower basin to higher plateau through subtropical, tropical, temperate, subarctic and cold zones, the vertical distribution of climatic conditions create a paradise for plenty of fauna species and wild animals inhabited in the region, and the ecological wholeness still persists in many parts. The wide range of nature reserves are set in the region for better protection and scientific research of biological species. One can record animals, birds, and butterflies whose distribution remains but vaguely known. There are more than 300 mammals and 686 birds, over half of China’s total. Among the country’s 87 endangered mammal species, the region accounts its 36. Wildlife unique to Southwest China includes the giant panda, red panda, Tibetan antelope, golden snub-nosed monkey, snow leopard, takin, Sichuan sika deer, musk deer, white-lipped deer, and 27 species of pheasants such as Chinese Monal Pheasant, white eared-pheasant and golden pheasant. Plateautours.com provides customized wildlife tours for various interests.