LHASA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- A golden jackal was captured on camera in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, the first time the species has been photographed in China, according to the Tibet Biodiversity Image Conservation (TBIC) Monday.

The animal appeared last Saturday in Xigaze at an elevation of 3,500 meters.

"We spotted a fox-like animal in the bush and took more than 20 very clear photos of it in three minutes," said Luo Hao, initiator of TBIC.

On Sunday, Li Sheng, researcher with the School of Life Sciences, Peking University, confirmed that the animal was a golden jackal.

The golden jackal is found from North Africa to South Asia, but this is the first time it has been captured on camera in the wild in China.

"The sighting shows that there may be more animals and plants waiting to be discovered in the southern Himalayas," said Li.

Established in 2010 by photographer Luo Hao, TBIC conducts annual biodiversity surveys in Tibet through images and videos.