In an extraordinary wildlife conservation breakthrough, a decade-old North China leopard designated F9 has defied biological expectations by establishing the nation’s first documented four-generation leopard dynasty. This remarkable matriarch, residing in the Taihang Mountains of Shanxi province, has not only become a great-grandmother but also successfully delivered three new cubs in 2025 despite her advanced age.
The conservation organization Chinese Felid Conservation Alliance reported that F9’s story carries profound scientific significance as her thriving lineage exists primarily outside formal protected areas, spanning multiple villages in Heshun county. First identified in June 2016 through infrared camera footage that captured her distinctive curled tail tip, this feline has surpassed all expectations by building a multi-generational legacy in the wild.
Her reproductive journey began in 2019 when infrared cameras captured her guiding three cubs—two females and one male—through their forest habitat. The dynasty expanded in 2022 when her eldest daughter, F26, was photographed with her own three cubs. The latest generational milestone occurred in late 2024 when F26’s daughter, nicknamed Pingping, was documented tenderly guiding her own offspring through moonlit forests.
At approximately 10 years old (equivalent to human early 60s), F9 has produced six known litters totaling 11 cubs, with four already establishing independent territories within the Heshun mountains. Her descendants demonstrate remarkable expansion patterns: her eldest son M16 now dominates the nearby Qingcheng forest area, while granddaughter Pingping has crossed County Highway 337 to establish territory further east.
This conservation success story stems from collaborative efforts between local authorities, research institutions, and community members. Since 2013, approximately 1,200 square kilometers in western Heshun have been designated as an ecological protection zone with stringent restrictions on polluting industries and large-scale development. The Laobaozi patrol team, established in 2015 with 20 local members, actively conducts biodiversity surveys, anti-poaching patrols, and community education.
The North China leopard, a leopard subspecies native to China, receives top national-level protection and was included on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2012. Heshun county has been identified as a vital habitat, with 89 adult leopards documented between 2015-2020, though fewer than 400 are estimated to remain in the wild globally.