Rescued Tibetan antelopes give birth

Screenshot/ Xinhua

XINING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Two Tibetan antelopes rescued in 2018 in northwest China's Hoh Xil nature reserve have given birth to two calves, marking the local wildlife rescue center's success in semi-free-range breeding of the species over the past 11 years.

The babies were born with the help of the Hoh Xil wildlife rescue center on June 26 and 30.

Patrol staff were tasked with observing the activities of the young ones and their mothers every morning and afternoon using binoculars so as to protect them from attacks by other wild animals and shield them from human activities.

The antelopes and their babies will be released into the wild once they meet specific health conditions, said the center.

The species, mostly found in Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is under first-class state protection in China and plays a key role in maintaining ecological balance on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Of late, the status of Tibetan antelopes in China has been downgraded from "endangered" to "near threatened" amid the country's anti-poaching and biodiversity protection efforts, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.