XINING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- A female leopard and her cub have been caught on camera at Three-river-source National Park in northwest China's Qinghai Province, according to the park administration.

The three-river-source area is the source of China's major rivers and a major habitat for the big cat. It is estimated that more than 1,000 snow leopards live in the area.

The videos filmed on infrared cameras in January and February showed the leopard and her cub near the source of the Yellow River. It is the first time that the animal has been spotted during a scientific investigation at the source.

"Through continuous long-term investigations, researchers will gradually confirm the population, density, living conditions and migration routes of the animal in this area," said He Bin, an expert with World Wildlife Fund and a participant in the investigation.

The snow leopard is a Class-A protected animal in China, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies it as endangered-to-vulnerable.