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Qiangtang
Nature Reserve |
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Paradise
for Tibetan Antelopes |
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The
Qiangtang National Nature Reserve focused
on steppe ecoregion and alpine rare
animal species. Tibetan antelope is
one of the most distinct species in
the region. The allure of Shahtooshi
and its economic value have attracted
armed poachers, the most fierce threat
to Qiangtang, to the area. Before 1996,
poachers hunted over 4000 Tibetan antelopes
every year.
After 1997, the Tibet Forestry Department,
in cooperation with conservation organizations
such as WWF Nagchu, began promoting
and organizing anti-poaching patrols
in seven counties in Nagchu and Ngari
prefectures. In addition, international
organizations have taken action to stop
trade of animal products and markets,
which has also contributed to help control
the illegal poaching in Qiangtang. As
a result of such efforts, illegal poaching
has been greatly reduced. Based on actual
cases and reported figures, illegal
poaching of antelope has been reduced
to under 400 per year and armed large
scale hunting has been controlled.
Hundreds of Tibetan gazelles and Tibetan
wild asses, kiangs in Tibetan, roamed
in the broad rangelands as we were driving
through the Nyima County section of
the Qiangtang National Nature Reserve.
Seemingly getting used to jeeps and
even trucks, the wild animals showed
no signs of fear when people were approaching.
"Obviously the wildlife are well-protected
here," said Dawa Tsering, the Tibet
Program co-ordinator of the World Wild
Fund for Nature (WWF) China Program
Office.
Located in Ngaqu Prefecture in the northern
Tibet Autonomous Region, Nyima is one
of five counties - Nyima, Gegyai, Gerze,
Rutog, and Amdo - and a special administrative
district, Shuanghu, within the limits
of jurisdiction of the Changtang National
Nature Reserve, the country's largest
nature reserve with an area of about
298,000 square kilometers in north and
northwestern Tibet.
In Nyima County, the local Tibetans
have become more aware of the importance
of protecting wildlife. Most people
have been on guard. But the public's
awareness of the conservation of the
wildlife in Nyima does not mean there
are no conflicts between humans and
nature. Every year the county government
would organize four large-scale patrols
in the 100,000-square-kilometre protected
area of the county, which has a total
area of about 150,000 square kilometers.
Most rangers intensified their patrols
"especially in the winter season
when chirus gather to mate and in early
summer when they gather to calve."
The local forestry police and rangers
of townships also organize patrols regularly.
The local reserve rangers' efforts and
even their lives have not gone unnoticed.
In the reserve under Nyima County's
jurisdiction, we saw hundreds of chirus
gathering to prepare to mate in the
morning. They were very close to local
human settlement. Male adults with their
male offspring, female adults with their
female offspring - they were scattered
on the broad rangeland into several
big groups. The female groups leisurely
grazed on the slope. After realizing
of people's approach, a group of male
chirus galloped towards another group
of females in a tidy line, seemingly
to their rescue. Their black knotty
horns are conspicuous under the scorching
sunshine.
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