Every year from May to July, the high-altitude Hoh Xil Nature Reserve becomes the destination for a remarkable migration of Tibetan antelopes. These graceful creatures travel thousands of kilometers from regions like Sanjiangyuan in Qinghai, parts of the Qiangtang Terrane in Xizang, and the Altun Mountains in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to give birth in the serene hinterland of Lake Zhuonai.
To ensure the safety of this annual journey, the Hoh Xil management authority has established the Wudaoliang protection station. On the morning of May 7, the station witnessed the first group of 47 female Tibetan antelopes setting off towards Lake Zhuonai, marking the commencement of the season's great migration. To date, the station has successfully monitored over 700 migrating antelopes.
Lian Xinming, a researcher at the Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explains, \"For Tibetan antelopes, we divide them into six species groups based on their geographical distribution. For instance, Qinghai and Xinjiang each have their own groups. In Xizang, there are three species groups located in the east, central, and west of the Qiangtang Terrane, with an additional group in the southern Qiangtang Terrane that doesn't migrate.\"
Hoh Xil Nature Reserve, perched at an average altitude exceeding 4,600 meters, is often dubbed a \"no-life zone\" due to its thin air and low oxygen levels. Despite these harsh conditions, it provides a vital habitat for Tibetan antelopes, which can reach speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour. Lian attributes their impressive speed to their warm underfur and physiological adaptations, including a high blood oxygen capacity.
The Tibetan antelope, under first-class state protection in China, has seen a population surge in the Hoh Xil region. Conservation efforts have been pivotal, with numbers increasing from less than 20,000 in the late 1980s to over 70,000 today.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
