CHENGDU, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A video clip of a leopard, a Class A protected animal in China, was captured by an infrared camera in southwest China's Sichuan Province, local authorities said Saturday.

The leopard was captured by infrared camera on the night of April 21 in Muli County under Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, said a source with the provincial bureau of forestry and grassland.

The video clip showed that the leopard was quite strong and walked past the camera. It is the first time that a leopard was captured by an infrared camera in the prefecture.

Other protected animals, including musk deer, golden eagles and wolves, were also spotted in the county, which implies the good ecology in the region and suggests that there are abundant prey as well as complete habitat for the animals.