China plans to build a permanent monitoring station to watch
Tibetan antelopes in a northwestern highland, to safeguard the
breeding of the endangered species.
A number of wooden or brick-structured houses are expected to be
constructed along the bank of Zonag Lake in Hoh Xil Tibetan
Antelope Nature Reserve as of May to allow three to five forestry
and veterinary staff to work all year long in the area, which is
4,600 meters above sea level.
More than 30,000 female Tibetan antelopes flock to the lake
region between May and August every year and 80 percent produce
babies here. About 45 percent of the newborns will survive, said
Cega, director of the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve Administration, based
in Qinghai Province.
Workers kept coming to the lake area during the breeding seasons
over the past years to protect the animals from being preyed by
armed poachers, but they have to reside in temporary tents.
The planned station, to be equipped with necessary monitoring,
medical and rescue facilities, will greatly improve the living and
working conditions for the experts, who will work in turn in the
wild.
The constructions will be painted to imitate the surrounding
environment in order to not disturb wild animals, according to
Cega.
Detailed construction plans are subject to ratification of the
State Forestry Administration.
The population of Tibetan antelopes in Hoh Xil is close to
60,000, compared with 20,000 in 1997, thanks to anti-poaching and
other protection efforts, according to Cega.
Four other monitoring stations have been in operation in other
parts of the natural reserve since 1997, when the administration
was established. Their job is to deter poachers.
Tibetan antelopes, a rare species found only in China, are
targeted by poachers for use in making shawls that sell for up to
11,000 U.S. dollars a time. Their rampant hunting has led to a
drastic decline in the antelope population, from hundreds of
thousands early last century to just around 70,000 to 100,000
today.
The 45,000-sq km Hoh Xil lies at the juncture of Qinghai, Tibet
Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in western
China. It is also home to wild yak, Tibetan wild ass and other
species.
(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2008)
