Few would have expected that viewers at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics would include animals. And yet, besides the exciting events, news reports also focused on several sightings of wildlife, especially leopard cats.
On Jan 31, on the alpine ski slopes in Yanqing district, 90 kilometers northwest of Beijing, a leopard cat was found walking through an award-ceremony rehearsal. The event caught the attention of volunteers and staff, with many snapping photos. Three days later, a Chinese photographer captured another leopard cat in the woods near the Olympic ski slopes. The creature ran past him, jumped over a fence and looked back.
Leopard cats are wild felids (猫科动物), slightly larger than house cats, and they mostly keep clear of human activity. However, according to Luo Shujin, a skier and a conservation biologist at Peking University, the frequent appearance of the animals close to the ski runs shows that the species has lived in this area relatively close to Beijing where human takes charge. Strangely, their calm manner suggests they are not frightened by human activity.
Without any research date, it is too early to draw any conclusions that the creation of the Olympic skiing venue (体育场馆) has not influenced the surrounding forests and wildlife. However, it's possible that the wild cats have already got used to living with humans, likely because people at the venue have not shown an aggressive attitude toward the animals since it started being built.
According to Luo, wild cats are seldom seen so close to big cities. "I think this is a little-known side of Beijing, " says Luo, who is proud that such wildlife can be found so close to the capital city. "Such an event causes me to hope that we can try our best to ensure the balance between wildlife and human. "
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