A wild snow leopard was caught on camera in a nature reserve in southwest China's Sichuan Province, the reserve's administration said on Wednesday.

A camera set up at an altitude of 4,096 meters spotted the rare snow leopard twice earlier this month, the first finding of the snow leopard in the Fengyongzhai National Nature Reserve.

The snow leopard was roaming in a core panda habitat when caught on the camera, said a chief ranger of the nature reserve.

More than 10 cameras were set up in the nature reserve last October in an initiative to protect the snow leopards in Sichuan Province.

The findings will help better knowledge of the precious species, said Deng Jiangyu, a researcher at the reserve.