A group of nine jackals, a national first-level protected wild animal, was recently photographed in the southern section of the Qilian Mountains National Nature Reserve in Gansu province.

The predators, characterized by their upright triangular ears and fluffy tail feathers, were observed in a complete family structure as they roamed freely between bare rocks and snow slopes in the morning light.

Jackals play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance. The reappearance of this once locally extinct species serves as evidence of the ecosystem's recovery in the Qilian Mountains.

The Qilian Mountains stand on the border of Gansu and Qinghai provinces. The nature reserve was designated a national protected site in 1988.