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Over 3000 baby Tibetan antelopes born at the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve in Xinjiang

Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily news (Reporters: Wang Jingjing, liu Mengmeng, Zhao Mei): Mid-July witnesses a new lambing peak of Tibetan antelopes in 2022 at the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang. At present, more than 3,000 baby Tibetan antelopes were born around the Tuzi Lake at the southwestern foot of the Mount Muztag in the reserve.

Photo taken on June 30, 2022 shows a group of Tibetan antelopes in lambing season around the Tuzi Lake at the southwestern foot of the Mount Muztag in the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Li Peifeng)

In 2022, the number of Tibetan antelopes in the reserve has increased more than 50,000 since last year. Every year, mid-July is the lambing peak time, and the number of baby Tibetan antelopes born in 2022 is expected to exceed last year’s 8,000.

As the largest lambing and breeding area of Tibetan antelopes in the northern Tibetan Plateau, the Tuzi Lake area covers an area of about 680 square kilometers with an average altitude of nearly 5,000 meters and is surrounded by snow mountains, which provide a natural shield for Tibetan antelopes from natural enemies. “With years of continuous observation, we found that Tibetan antelopes in this area mainly come from two directions. One group migrates west from the eastern part of the reserve and the other migrates east from the middle Kunlun Mountains area, and gather here for lambing,” according to Xu Junquan, deputy director of the Plateau Ecological Environment and Nature Conservation Research Office of the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve Administration.

Photo taken on June 30, 2022 shows a new-born baby Tibetan antelope runs with a female Tibetan antelope in the lambing season in the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve, northwest China’s Xinjiang. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Li Peifeng)

Every year in lambing season, staff of the reserve will step up patrol and protection in the area. “In this year, we have cooperated with the Altun Mountain detachment of the Food, Drug and Environment Branch of the Public Security Bureau of Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture in carrying out a joint patrol and protection in the areas of Xianxia valley, Changliu valley and Lujiao valley around the lambing ground. We strictly control the periphery to minimize human interference and provide a good environment for Tibetan antelope lambing,” said Xu.

With the strengthening of management and protection of the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve, the number of the three rare ungulate wild animals on the plateau, i.e. Tibetan antelope, wild yak and Tibetan wild ass, has increased significantly and exceeded 110,000 now.

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