A herd of kiangs, a first-class state-protected species, crossed the snowy Ha'erteng prairie in Aksay Kazak autonomous county in Gansu province on Saturday. The kiangs, the largest species of wild ass, were photographed by a hobbyist. Another national first-class protected species, wild yaks, were also found crossing the prairie with the kiangs in a search for food in places with less snow.

In recent years, following environmental protection efforts such as restoring grassland, the Ha'erteng prairie has seen the populations of various kinds of wildlife rebound.

Tang Ziye contributed to the story.