A nationwide recruitment of volunteers will start at Hoh Xil Nature
Reserve in northwest China's
Qinghai
Province next year to increase public awareness of the
importance of wildlife protection. "There are no particular
requirements for an applicant's age, gender or vocation, but we
require good health and work attitude and a love of animals," said
Cega, director of the Administrative Bureau of the Hoh Xil Nature
Reserve.
Hoh Xil Nature Reserve
The Hoh Xil Nature Reserve, founded in 1995, covers 45,000 square
km at an average elevation of 4,600 meters. It is home to many rare
species including the Tibetan
antelope, the yak, wild donkey and other plateau animals.
Patrol Work
Considering Hoh Xil's harsh natural conditions and frigid winter
weather, volunteers will be on patrol only from June to August.
Each team will be consisted of five or six volunteers and each
volunteer will work in the mountains for about two weeks, Cega
said.
Patrol teams made up of 60 bureau staff go into mountains several
times a year to investigate the distribution and living conditions
of endangered Tibetan antelopes and to fight against poaching.
Tibetan Antelope Protection
"The purpose of the current volunteer recruitment is not because we
are shorthanded, but is to raise people's awareness of the
importance of protecting the Tibetan antelope and to reject the use
of products made from antelope wool as well as to denounce poaching
and antelope trafficking," he added.
To
protect the safety of volunteers, training courses on how to deal
with wolf attacks and how to adapt to the plateau climate will be
given before they are sent to mountains.
Unique in China
Tibetan antelopes are unique to China, falling into the category of
animals subject to state first-class protection. They are part of
the wildlife in
Tibet.
In
the 1980s, there were groups of 2,000 Tibetan antelopes. Today,
it's rare to see a group of up to 100.
The sharp decrease in the Tibetan antelope population has alerted
the central government and the government of the Tibet Autonomous
Region to the fact that illegal hunting is rife in the region.
Significant efforts have been made and are still being made to stop
this crime, to the great concern of the international
community.
Tibetan Antelope
The Tibetan antelope looks like the Mongolian gazelle. It can also
be referred to as an antelope or a long-horn sheep. Its Tibetan
name is Zor. Body size: 1.4 meters long. Shoulder height: 70-80 cm.
Weight: 40-50 kg. Head: Wide and long. Nose: Wide. In each of the
nostrils is a breathing bag to help with breathing while running on
the plateau. Horn: long, flat and shiny black.
Male Tibetan antelopes each have a pair of sharp, dark colored
horns. The horns together look like a sword when viewed from the
side. Tail: Short, with a sharp tip. Limbs: Thin. Two holes in the
hind legs. When running, the holes make it possible for the leg
skin to act as air bags. The Tibetan antelope runs at up to 80 km
per hour. Back hair: Light brown. Neck, stomach and limb hair:
White. Face: Dark on males and white on females. Body hair:
Standing and all over.
Tibetan antelopes are timid, sensitive and curious. Their fierce
natural environment forces the antelopes to be good at withstanding
thirst and hunger. They are often not able to eat or drink for
several days in a row. Tibetan antelopes move in groups ranging
from dozens to several hundreds. They have no permanent residing
homes, and instead roam around depending on the seasons and the
availability of food.
(People's Daily
December 14, 2001)