On June 27, a team of researchers, organized under the “Discover
Qinghai” program arrived at Zhuonai Lake, in the depopulated Hoh
Xil Nature Reserve, Xinhua News Agency reported. The lake-district
is at an altitude of 5,000 meters above sea level and is a lambing
site for Tibetan antelopes.
The "Discover Qinghai" program is a series of activities and
events to introduce Qinghai.
Part of the program includes one involving the antelope and aimed
at promoting the protection of the animals and their living
environment. Indirectly, it is hoped that the publicity generated
from the program will aid the animal's selection as the mascot for
the 2008
Beijing Olympics.
Su Jianping, a researcher with the Northwest Plateau Institute
of Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the lambing
period of Tibetan antelopes in Hoh Xil is from the end of June to
the middle of July each year. Many antelopes have already made
their way to the lake-district.
Xinhua journalists saw some female antelopes taking their
newborns to forage for food in the hillsides. Ever alert, the
mothers gently guided their young out of harm's way when they saw
the team's vehicles two to three kilometers away.
Researchers hope to gain a better understanding of the antelope
in terms of its population numbers, lambing patterns and
distribution.
The team hopes to complete its studies by July 3, with a first
batch of data on population numbers to be worked out by mid-July.
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(China.org.cn by Zhang Tingting, July 1, 2005)
