A litter of fluffy Tibetan fox cubs has been spotted in Chindu County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, captivating viewers with their endearing antics caught on camera.
The footage shows the cubs exhibiting a range of playful and curious behaviors: stepping on their bushy tails to stay warm, clumsily scratching their ears with hind legs, dozing peacefully on grassy patches, grooming their fur with tiny tongues, and peering alertly at their surroundings. Their charming antics offer a rare glimpse into the early life of this elusive species.
The Tibetan fox, one of the second-level protected wild animals in China, inhabits the region's alpine meadows and plays an important role in controlling grassland rodent pests and maintaining the balance of the plateau ecosystem.
In recent years, intensified efforts to protect and restore local ecosystems in Chindu County have yielded significant results. Authorities report steady growth in both the diversity and population of wild animals, including the Tibetan fox.
Tibetan fox cubs spotted basking in sun in northwest China's high-altitude grassland
Israel has been ratcheting up the number of settlements and annexation of the occupied West Bank and transferring its own population into the territory which constitutes a breach of international law, according to the United Nations Human Rights Office.
Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesman for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, presented a report by the UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday that outlined the ongoing transfer of powers over the Occupied Palestinian Territory from the Israeli military to the government.
According to the report, based on research between Nov 1, 2023 and Oct 31, 2024, there had been a "significant" expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
"The Government of Israel has been increasing the number of settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, transferring its own population into the territory and unlawfully demolishing Palestinian homes. At the same time settler violence has increased with continued impunity," said Al-Kheetan.
The report also refers to plans to construct over 20,000 housing units in new or existing Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem alone, according to Israeli non-governmental organizations.
In East Jerusalem, 214 Palestinian properties and structures have been demolished. Over 10,300 units within existing Israeli settlements in the rest of the West Bank are in the pipeline, and an unprecedented 49 new Israeli outposts have been established, according to the report.
"The Israeli government is facilitating the advancement of settlements in the West Bank, and the steady integration of this occupied territory into the State of Israel, the report finds. Israel's settlement policy, its acts of annexation, and related discriminatory legislation and measures are in breach of international law, and violate Palestinians' right to self-determination," said Al-Kheetan.
The spokesman added that the transfer by Israel of parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies amounts to a war crime.
Israel expands illegal settlements, annexation of West Bank: UN report
