Live Cat Appraisal: Starting with a Beast That's Got a Long Prison Record

Chapter 181 The Golden Leopard Descends the Mountain!
The babbling brook flows quietly.

This is where the yaks on the pasture drink water every day. The soil on the bank is particularly soft and muddy due to long-term trampling and soaking.

At this moment, Chen Nian, Xu Dafei, and Gesang were squatting beside a noticeable depression on the shore.

He stared intently at the two clear marks in the mud.

"This size."

Xu Dafei subconsciously opened his palm and held it above the footprint to compare.

"It must be 9 to 10 centimeters in diameter, right? It's almost as wide as my palm!"

Gesang's heart jumped into his throat.

This was found near his ranch!

If something really happens
His voice was tinged with obvious tension and lingering fear: "Teacher Chen, what kind of creature left this behind? It's so big, could it really be a snow leopard?"

"Could it really be a snow leopard?"

Chen Nian did not answer immediately.

His eyes were sharp, like the most sophisticated scanner, carefully examining every detail of the footprints.

Shape, depth, and distribution of toe pads.

A few seconds later, he slowly shook his head, his tone certain: "It shouldn't be a snow leopard."

"Snow leopard footprints are rounded and wide, which is to distribute their weight on the soft snow and prevent them from sinking. There is also a lot of space between their toes. So the whole footprint looks like a huge round cake."

"And this one."

Pointing to the footprints in the mud, he analyzed precisely: "Look at this footprint. The overall shape is more slender and compact. You can see a clear, separate outline of the toe pads here. More importantly—here, and here, there are obvious scratches left by the claw tip!"

His finger touched a few tiny indentations at the tip of the mark.

"The width is indeed around 9 centimeters, but if it were an adult snow leopard, its footprints would be wider and thicker than this."

Chen Nian is someone who has personally handled the paws of an adult snow leopard.

They are fully aware of the differences between the two.

"What could that be?"

An elegant yet powerful figure flashed through Chen Nian's mind, and then she blurted it out.

"It's a leopard!"

Leopard, also known as spotted leopard.

A Class I protected feline in China!
A massive beast!

"What?! A leopard?!"

Gesang was completely stunned.

He never expected that he would encounter both snow leopards and leopards, creatures he had never seen before, at the same time.

"Teacher Chen, are you sure it's a leopard?"

Xu Dafei's expression instantly turned extremely serious.

If it really is a leopard coming down from the mountain, the nature of the incident would be completely different!

This means that a large apex predator with extremely aggressive and stealthy capabilities has infiltrated human activity and livestock areas, posing a direct and imminent threat to the safety of people and animals!

This is no longer something they can solve.

"Don't rush, footprints alone are not enough to be 100% certain. Look again, there must be other evidence."

Chen Nian's eyes were sharp and piercing.

Like the most experienced hunter, they began a thorough search of the grass, bushes, and especially the base of the fence around the footprints.

This uninvited guest was clearly a master of stealth.

Apart from the two footprints that were accidentally waded into the mud while tentatively crossing the stream, there were almost no other traces left around.

However, when Chen Nian's gaze swept over...

He found a few strands of coarse, golden-brown hair with black spots at the very bottom of the barbed wire fence where the stream flowed through.

"found it!"

Chen Nian's eyes lit up, and she carefully picked up a few strands of hair.

Examine its color, length, and texture carefully against the sunlight.

A moment later, he confirmed it with absolute certainty.

"That's right! It's a golden leopard!"

Leopard fur is typically golden brown or yellowish-brown.

It is covered with black hollow stripes, also known as rose spots, and its hair is relatively coarse and stiff.

"It probably tried to sneak into the pasture from below the stream and through the gaps in the fence, but its forepaws got stuck in the deep mud. It may have made a loud noise while struggling, which accidentally startled the herd. After its plan failed, it immediately retreated."

Chen Nian quickly reconstructed the scene.

Then his expression became increasingly serious:

"Moreover, based on experience, a healthy leopard would rarely risk venturing so deep into human-inhabited areas. It was most likely forced into this situation by extreme hunger!"

"Hungry beasts are the most dangerous, and also the most persistent!"

"If it fails once, it will likely linger nearby, looking for the next opportunity!"

He subconsciously pressed the cat bracelet on his wrist.

There was no vibration feedback.

This indicates that the leopard is not currently within 500 meters; it may have temporarily moved away, or it may be lurking in the distant mountains, quietly waiting for the next night to fall.

Hearing Chen Nian's firm judgment and stern analysis...

Xu Dafei could no longer sit still.

"No! This matter must be reported immediately! It's too serious! Teacher Chen, we have to go back right away!" Xu Dafei said urgently.

The "leopard coming down the mountain" incident is one that requires an immediate emergency response!

This is not only about the herders' property, but also about their personal safety!
The consequences of an attack would be unimaginable!

Moreover, panicked herders may take extreme measures to defend themselves, which would be a huge tragedy if people were injured or the national first-class protected animal was accidentally killed!

"Brother Gesang, try not to go far these days, and be especially vigilant at night! Having someone at home will have a great deterrent effect, and it won't dare to attack easily."

Chen Nian quickly gave instructions.

"Okay! I understand!"

Gesang nodded emphatically, his expression grave. He was well aware of the implications.

After a hasty farewell, Xu Dafei practically ran to get Chen Nian into the car, and the SUV sped away from the ranch, kicking up a trail of dust.

Little Gesang didn't understand what was happening and asked Gesang curiously.

"Father, are you alright?"

Gesang shook his head: "Don't worry, it's alright. With your brother Chen here, everything will be fine."

He believed that the Cat Alliance and Chen Nian would be able to find the leopard soon.

Just to be on the safe side, Zhuoma suggested, "How about we drive the cattle down there? It'll be safer down there."

"it is good."

In the car, Xu Dafei couldn't wait to start making a phone call, his tone urgent:

"Hello? Chief! It's me, Dafei! Emergency! Traces of a leopard have been found near Gesang's ranch on the Larima Grassland! Yes! The footprints and fur have been confirmed! Teacher Chen Nian personally verified them! Requesting immediate activation of the emergency response plan!"

He not only contacted the higher-ups in the forestry bureau.

They then immediately called the police to report the incident.

The news was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating huge waves in the relevant functional departments of Xinlong County!
Upon hearing the words "Golden Leopard,"

The level of importance attached to this matter by all departments was immediately raised to the highest level!

After Xu Dafei took Chen Nian to the rescue station, he didn't even have time to turn off the car before looking at Chen Nian intently.

"Professor Chen, you are aware of the situation. We might need your expertise to help with the subsequent search and location work!"

"No problem! Ready to go anytime!"

Chen Nian agreed without hesitation.

He also didn't want to see either side get hurt; finding and controlling the leopard safely and in advance would be the best outcome.

"Okay! Let's keep in touch!"

Xu Dafei nodded emphatically, turned the steering wheel, and the car roared away from the rescue station, leaving only two deep tire tracks at the entrance.

Xia Qiyue, who had just finished cooking, came out upon hearing the noise, only to see the SUV driving away.

She looked at Chen Nian, whose face was grave, with curiosity: "What happened? Why are you in such a hurry, Brother Xu?"

"A leopard has come down from the mountain."

"what?!"

Forestry Bureau meeting room.

The head of the public security department rushed over immediately after receiving the report, and happened to run into Xu Dafei, who was hurriedly returning, at the door.

Is the situation true? Is the evidence conclusive?

The person in charge asked abruptly, in a hurried tone.

"true!"

"What is the source of this information?"

"Teacher Chen Nian".

Upon hearing the name 'Chen Nian', the last trace of doubt on the person in charge's face vanished instantly, replaced by extreme seriousness.

"Okay! I understand! Activate the emergency response immediately!"

Soon, the preliminary investigation information was also compiled.

After an emergency visit to several nearby ranches, the feedback confirmed that several ranches had indeed experienced abnormal restlessness of livestock at night recently, but no actual losses had been reported yet.

Upon hearing this, the person in charge broke out in a cold sweat!
A wave of relief immediately washed over me.

"Thank goodness! Thank goodness Teacher Chen spotted the signs early! If we had waited until something serious happened, and the livestock or even people were injured, it would have been too late!"

As the person in charge of public security, this incident is a dereliction of duty on his part.

Now that it has been discovered in advance, as long as the information is disseminated, the probability of an accident will be greatly reduced!

He immediately picked up the communication device and rapidly issued instructions:

"Pass the word! Immediately notify all ranches near the edge of the mountains, especially those that have recently reported abnormalities!"

"Strengthen vigilance at night, and it would be best to have someone on duty!"

"A reminder to all herders, especially the elderly and children, to avoid going out after dark!"

"I suggest that those ranches that are showing unusual signs of distress immediately move their livestock to a safer location, and that their personnel also temporarily leave the area!"

"Repeat! If you find anything unusual, report it immediately. Do not take any action on your own! Do not attempt to drive them away or attack them! Wait for the professionals to arrive!"

Clear instructions were quickly relayed to the grassroots level.

The early warning network for the entire relevant area of ​​Xinlong County was activated instantly.

After arranging the early warning matters, the person in charge breathed a slight sigh of relief.

But his brow remained furrowed.

He looked at Xu Dafei and his colleagues from the Forestry Bureau: "Finding this leopard and ensuring the safety of both people and the leopard will depend on your expertise!"

The people from the Forestry Bureau and the Cat Alliance are the professionals in this regard.

"Don't worry! We will do our best!"

The Forestry Bureau and the Cat Alliance naturally hope to find the leopard as soon as possible.

Then control and protect it!
Similar incidents have occurred before.

But each time they arrived, it was often too late!

The herders will not show any mercy to these wild animals that damage their property!

This time, they must seize the precious window of opportunity that Chen Nian has secured!

The public security, forestry, and cat alliance forces quickly joined forces.

More clues began to emerge through road surveillance and sporadic eyewitness reports from herders.

Preliminary analysis suggests that the leopard's activity area seems to vaguely point to a commercial street on the outskirts of the county that is under construction and expansion and has few people and vehicles at night.

That evening, Chen Nian's phone rang.

Xu Dafei's solemn and urgent voice came from the other end:
"Teacher Chen, we've initially identified the target area! But the search is proving very difficult, and we need your support! Are you available now?"

"Come pick me up."

(End of this chapter)