In September, he succeeded in capturing the animals twice in Shiqu. "But the encounters were still distant and brief," he said.

He later came across a report detailing how a few people had the fortune of sighting five snow leopards on several occasions while birdwatching along a winding mountain road in Qinghai province. "I realized that the leopards might always be there but simply challenging to spot," Luo said. "The collective effort of more people actively searching with multiple sets of eyes heightened the likelihood of such sightings."

He decided to change his strategy.

"I concluded that the best way to find the animals was by hiring experienced guides with sharp eyes and searching for the leopards in a car," he said.

He was soon rewarded by the shift.