Number of wild species grows at Tibetan reserve  

藏北羌塘保护区藏羚羊已达15万只

“羌塘国家级自然保护区的藏羚羊恢复到了15万只左右，藏野驴恢复到了10万匹左右。”在拉萨举行的一个会议上，西藏那曲地区环保局副局长旦增次仁对中新社记者介绍了上述情况。

Lhasa (CNS) -- Numbers of Tibetan antelopes, kiang (wild ass) and wild yaks have been increased at the Qiangtang National Nature Reserve, Tenzin Tsering, deputy director of Nagqu Prefecture's Environmental Protection Bureau, said Friday.

Antelopes have been restored to 150,000, kiang to 100,000 and wild yaks to 9,000, he said.

The biggest nature reserve in China, Qiangtang covers an area of some 298,000 sq km in northern Tibet. The grassland breeds over 1,000 kinds of wild animals, including at least 40 types of first- and second-class nationally protected species.

About 27 million yuan (US$4.28 million) has been invested in the reserve programs, and species diversity has been recovered after a dozen years of effort, Tenzin said.

More than 50 gangs involved in poaching and smuggling have been smashed, and over 2,000 Tibetan antelope skins and 100 yak heads have been confiscated in the area, he added.