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Protection of Wild Camels Intensified in China
State Environmental Protection Administration has lately sent a team to Xinjiang for a study on the protection of wild camels, It is reported that five inspection stations are to be set up in an area of 67,000 square km round the Airgin Sum-Lop Nur Wild Camel Nature Reserve.
Studies conducted by American scientists show that the gene chain of wild camel is two-three more than that of the normal tamed camel, and so it has great research value. There is a total of less than 1,000 wild camels in the world. With 300 in Mongolia, China has 600 or so such camels. They mainly spread out in north of Airgin Sum, Lop Nur Gobi, Taklamakan Desert and Altain Gobi, boundary area of China and Mongolia. Due to illegal catch and hunting, wolves' attack and deterioration of ecological environment, wild camels are in an urgent need of protection.
Wild camel is listed as the animal of first importance under the protection of the state, and from 1959 on, China has for many a time conducted inspections on wild camels with precious first-hand materials obtained. A 15,000 square km nature reserve was set up in north of Airgin Sum in 1986 for the protection of wild camels and Tibetan antelopes and other rare fauna and flora. With the aid of British Wild Camel Fund, Chinese government has extended this reserve to 67,000 square km and the Arigin Sum-Lop Nur Natural Reserve was established last year.
Experts say that China's research on wild camels is still at the threshold, and the human's knowledge about wild camels is very limited. Therefore, China has lagged far behind so far as the investment, relevant equipment and means of research on wild camels are concerned. China will have to make an overall and profound study on the animal by strengthening its protection in future.
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