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Tibetan antelope

Latin scientific name: Pantholops hodgsoni

English name: Tibetan antelope or Tibetan antelope

Chinese alias: Tibetan antelope, longhorn sheep Tibetan name transliteration: Zu

Classification: Artiodactyla, Cattle, Tibetan Antelope. It looks like an antelope, but it is much bigger.

Shoulder height: 80-85cm (male) and 70-75cm (female).

Weight: 35-40 kg (male) and 24-28 kg (female)

Shape: symmetrical limbs, strong. The tail is short and pointed. The whole coat is rich and dense, and the hairstyle is straight.

Particularity: Each nostril has 1 sac, which is used to help people breathe on the plateau with thin air.

Coat color: ram's head, neck and upper part are light brown, deep in summer and light in winter, with white abdomen, striking black spots on forehead and four legs, ewe is pure yellow brown and white abdomen.

Angle length: Adult males have a right angle and the tip is slightly curved, 50-60 cm (female has no angle).

Life span: generally no more than 8 years old.

Habits: Dozens to thousands of different species are mixed together, living in alpine grasslands, meadows and alpine deserts at an altitude of 4,300 meters to 5 100 meters (minimum 3,250 meters, maximum 5,500 meters), foraging in the morning and evening, and being good at running.

In summer, the female sheep migrate northward along a fixed route, return to the wintering ground to mate with the male sheep after giving birth in June-July, and mate in February. The offspring of each litter are 1 1- 1. Some ethnic groups will not migrate. Distribution: Limited to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with Qiangtang as the center, south to the north of Lhasa, north to Kunlun Mountain, east to the north of Qamdo area in Tibet and southwest of Qinghai, west to the border between China and India, and occasionally a few flow into Ladakh, India.

Quantity: less than 75,000 (according to Dr. Schaller's estimation, it is 65,438+0,999)

Protection level: national first-class protected animals.

Nature Reserve: In order to protect the Tibetan antelope and other rare animals endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the state established the Altun Mountain National Nature Reserve in 1983, the Qiangtang Nature Reserve in 1992, the Hoh Xil Provincial Nature Reserve in 1995, and upgraded it to a national nature reserve at the end of 1997. Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve was established in 2000.

Tibetan antelope is a national first-class protected animal.

CITES Convention: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is an international intergovernmental agreement to protect wild animals, with more than 65,438+000 member countries participating. The secretariat is located in Switzerland, and CITES management committees have been set up in all countries. Every member country has the responsibility to abide by the CITES agreement and protect rare wild animals and plants, and those who violate the agreement will be punished. It is illegal for 142 member countries or regions of CITES to import Tibetan antelope hair or "shahtoosh" except one member country. Tibetan antelope has a reddish brown back and a light brown or grayish white abdomen. The adult male Tibetan antelope has a black face, black marks on its legs and harp-shaped horns on its head to defend against the enemy. The female Tibetan antelope has no horns. The wool of Tibetan antelope's native sheep is very soft. Adult female Tibetan antelopes are about 75 cm (30 inches) tall and weigh about 25-30 kg (55-66 lbs). The male is about 80-85 cm (32-33 inches) tall and weighs about 35-40 kg (77-88 lbs).

History of natural development

Tibetan antelopes live on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (Tibet, Qinghai and Xinjiang) in China, and a small number of them are distributed in Ladakh. The habitat of Tibetan antelope is 3250-5500 meters above sea level (10662- 18045 feet), which is more suitable for flat terrain at an altitude of about 4000 meters. The average annual temperature in these areas is below zero, and the growing season is very short.

The activities of Tibetan antelopes are very complicated. Some Tibetan antelopes will live in the same place for a long time, while others have migration habits. Female and male Tibetan antelopes have different activity patterns. Adult female Tibetan antelopes and their female offspring migrate 300 kilometers from their winter mating sites to their summer lambing sites every year. Young male Tibetan antelopes will leave the community and get together with other young or adult male Tibetan antelopes until they finally form a mixed community.

The composition and number of Tibetan antelopes will change according to gender and period. Female Tibetan antelopes reach sexual maturity at the age of 1.5 ~ 2.5, and usually give birth to their first child at the age of 2 ~ 3 after 7 ~ 8 months of pregnancy. The cubs were born in the middle or late June or the end of July, and each baby has a baby. The mating period is generally between the end of 1 1 and 65438+February, and male Tibetan antelopes generally need to be protected 10-20 female Tibetan antelopes.

Tibetan antelopes are good at running, with a top speed of 80 kilometers (50 miles) per hour and a life span of about 8 years.

1990, the number of Tibetan antelopes was about 10000, and 1995 decreased to 75000. In the past, more than 1.5 million Tibetan antelopes were found, but now the number is greatly reduced.

Species status

Tibetan antelope 1996 is listed as a vulnerable species by IUCN. It was listed as an endangered species in 2000. Tibetan antelope from 1979 is listed in Appendix I of CITES. At the same time, Tibetan antelope belongs to the first-class protection of China's Wildlife Protection Law, and hunting and trading are prohibited without permission. In India, apart from the special situation in Jaimu and Kashmir, the trade of Tibetan antelopes is also explicitly prohibited under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act.

A threat to species.

Historically, Tibetans hunted Tibetan antelopes for a living. Nowadays, the biggest threat faced by Tibetan antelopes is to obtain their large-scale poaching in the down of local sheep.

In order to get the wool of local sheep, Tibetan antelopes must be killed. This kind of shawl made from the wool of the native sheep of Tibetan antelope is called "shahtoosh" and is recognized as the most delicate and soft shawl in the world. A shawl was woven at the cost of the lives of several Tibetan antelopes. Tibetan antelope cashmere is smuggled from Tibet to Indian Zhan Mu and Kashmir, where it can be legally used to weave shawls and towels, but the export trade is still illegal.

Although Shatush shawl was used as a dowry in Indian history, the pursuit of shahtoosh in western fashion circles directly led to a sharp increase in poaching in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It is estimated that 20,000 Tibetan antelopes are hunted every year because of shahtoosh. Tibetan antelope horn is also sold in traditional medicine market.

Due to the lack of funds, it is difficult for patrol personnel to patrol the vast area where Tibetan antelopes haunt. In order to protect Tibetan antelopes, western fashion circles should stop buying shahtoosh, and poaching of Tibetan antelopes will stop if there is no demand. In addition, the suggestions put forward by many organizations to protect Tibetan antelopes and their habitats should be implemented.

Other threats include the invasion of Tibetan antelope by human beings and livestock, the interference of human activities on the migration and activities of Tibetan antelope, and the occupation of Tibetan antelope habitat.

international trade

Tibetan antelope is listed in Appendix I of CITES of Washington Convention, and the international trade of Tibetan antelope and its body organs and derivatives is explicitly prohibited.

Tibetan antelope, known as "the pride of Hoh Xil", is a unique species in China. It lives in groups and is a national first-class protected animal. It is also an endangered animal listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Tibetan antelope is not a giant panda. It is a dominant animal. As long as you see them pouring out in droves on the horizon of the first snow, with their elf-like figures and beautiful flying posture, you will believe that it can survive in this land for tens of millions of years because it belongs here. It is not an endangered animal with poor adaptability. As long as you leave it alone, it can live well.

White Paper on Tibetan Antelope Protection in China

Tibetan antelopes are mainly distributed in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China, which is a typical representative of the fauna of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. After long-term natural succession and development, the population of this species has reached a relatively stable state, with a huge number. However, since the late 1980s, this species has suffered unprecedented large-scale poaching, and its population has dropped sharply. In view of the rampant illegal activities of poaching and smuggling Tibetan antelopes, all parties concerned in China have made great efforts and launched a series of crackdown actions, but these illegal activities continue. In order to effectively curb the illegal poaching and cashmere smuggling of Tibetan antelopes, the State Forestry Administration of China, together with the National Endangered Species Import and Export Administration Office and relevant parties in China, will continue to take strict measures, hoping that relevant governments, international organizations and friendly people will jointly implement the protection actions of Tibetan antelopes and promote the recovery and development of Tibetan antelopes.

1. Distribution and ecological habits of Tibetan antelope population

Tibetan antelopes are mainly distributed in the alpine desert grasslands with an altitude of 3,700-5,500 meters in Qinghai, Xinjiang, Tibet and Sichuan provinces. The vegetation in these areas is sparse, and they are all plateau herbs. In addition, the temperature in these areas is low, and many places are covered with snow for more than six months every year. In the unique and harsh natural environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, in order to find enough food and resist the severe cold, after long-term adaptation, Tibetan antelopes have formed the habit of migrating in groups, and a layer of cashmere with excellent warmth retention has grown on their bodies. Although Tibetan antelopes naturally change their hair once every summer, no one tries to collect the naturally changed hair, because it will fall off sporadically and drift with the wind.

Secondly, the resources of Tibetan antelope in China are being seriously damaged.

Although the distribution area of Tibetan antelopes is sparsely populated and the climate is harsh, in the past 10 years, poachers have been holding weapons and constantly pouring into the habitat of Tibetan antelopes, or waiting for an opportunity to slaughter Tibetan antelopes on the migration route. According to the analysis of the number of skins and cashmere of Tibetan antelopes seized by relevant departments in China in recent years and the remains of Tibetan antelopes found by relevant units in the distribution area of Tibetan antelopes, the average number of Tibetan antelopes poached every year is about 20 thousand. In addition, due to the serious interference of poaching activities, the original activity law of Tibetan antelope has been disrupted, which has a serious impact on population reproduction.

One of the serious consequences of poaching is the sharp decline in the number of Tibetan antelopes. The survey data from the late 1980s to the early 1990s showed that the distribution density of Tibetan antelopes was 0? Winter per square kilometer in southwest Qinghai 1986. 2~0? 199 1 There are three Tibetan antelopes in the east of Qiangtang Nature Reserve. The distribution density of Tibetan antelopes is 0 .2 per square kilometer, and there are more than 2,000 Tibetan antelopes in the cluster. 1994 A survey in Kunlun Mountain, Xinjiang estimated that the number of Tibetan antelopes in this area was about 43,700. According to a senior expert who has been engaged in wildlife research on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for many years, the total number of Tibetan antelopes in China dropped sharply to about 50,000 ~ 75,000 in 1995, and it is still declining. In recent years, no one has ever seen more than 2,000 Tibetan antelopes. In many places where Tibetan antelopes used to gather, only sporadic Tibetan antelopes can be seen now. This ancient species is endangered.

Third, China has made great efforts to protect Tibetan antelopes.

Tibetan antelope, as a typical representative of the fauna of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, has immeasurable scientific value. Tibetan antelope population is also an extremely important part of the natural ecology of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. China government attaches great importance to the protection of Tibetan antelopes. 198 1 China's accession to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. As the Tibetan antelope is an Appendix I species, the government of China strictly prohibits all trade and export activities of Tibetan antelope and its products. 1988 After the promulgation of the Law on the Protection of Wild Animals in People's Republic of China (PRC), the List of National Key Protected Wild Animals approved by the State Council, China identified the Tibetan antelope as a national first-class protected wild animal in China, and illegal hunting was strictly prohibited. In addition, the government of China has successively established several nature reserves in the important distribution areas of Tibetan antelopes, such as Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve in Qinghai, Altun National Nature Reserve in Xinjiang and Qiangtang Nature Reserve in Tibet, and set up special protection and management institutions and law enforcement teams to patrol the mountains regularly to monitor the population activities of Tibetan antelopes.

In order to protect Tibetan antelopes, extensive publicity and education have been carried out in the distribution areas of Tibetan antelopes, a group of conservation management and scientific research personnel have been trained, and resource investigation and scientific research have been organized. The former Forestry Department of China (now the State Forestry Administration) paid special attention to the rampant illegal and criminal activities of poaching Tibetan antelopes and smuggling Tibetan antelopes' cashmere, and conducted a special investigation. Over the years, relevant departments and local governments in China have organized forest public security organs and other law enforcement forces to severely crack down on Tibetan antelope distribution areas, important transportation routes and processing points, key customs and border areas. According to incomplete statistics, since 1990, China forest public security organs have cracked more than 100 cases of poaching Tibetan antelopes, and collected more than 7000 pieces of Tibetan antelopes' skins10/00 kg of Tibetan antelopes' wool100 kg, more than 300 guns and 65430 bullets. Under harsh conditions, a number of epic heroes have emerged to protect Tibetan antelopes and their habitats. Comrade Sonam Dajie, former secretary of the Western Working Committee of Zhiduo County, Qinghai Province, is a typical representative of protecting Tibetan antelope heroes. The team he led has patrolled the uninhabited Hoh Xil area of 654.38+10,000 square kilometers for three consecutive years, and arrested many criminals who poached Tibetan antelopes. 1994 65438+1October 18, the 40-year-old hero was unfortunately shot in the battle to hunt down criminals who illegally poached Tibetan antelopes and died heroically.

Fourthly, the protection of Tibetan antelopes in China still faces many difficulties.

The fundamental reason is that there is a huge profiteering trade in Tibetan antelope cashmere and its fabrics outside China. However, although the relevant departments in China have cracked down many times, they have not fundamentally stopped the illegal hunting and smuggling of Tibetan antelope cashmere, and the total number of Tibetan antelopes in China is still on the decline. The reasons are as follows: First, the total distribution area of Tibetan antelopes exceeds 600,000 square kilometers, and the altitude is above 3,700-5,500 meters. It's vast and sparsely populated, the air is thin, and the climate is bad. It's difficult to conduct all-round and uninterrupted patrols with the existing police force, equipment and financial resources, while poachers seize the gap to slaughter Tibetan antelopes. Second, criminals have established more rigorous organizations in poaching, transportation, velvet picking and smuggling, and adopted more covert means, which has increased the difficulty of cracking down on the above-mentioned criminal acts.

On the other hand, when our country's law enforcement officers are struggling to hunt down poachers in harsh environment, it is a pity that the trade of cashmere and its fabrics of Tibetan antelope in some countries and regions has not been effectively cracked down and stopped, which is precisely the fundamental reason why poachers kill Tibetan antelope crazily. This can be clearly seen from the following aspects:

1. The fundamental purpose of poachers to kill Tibetan antelopes is to obtain them. So far, the confessions of all poachers arrested in China have confirmed this. On the other hand, because there are many parasites on Tibetan antelope meat, the leather-making performance of Tibetan antelope skin is poor, and the meat, skin, skull and horn of Tibetan antelope have not been commercialized, so there is no demand market for Tibetan antelope and its products in China. A large number of Tibetan antelope carcasses, skulls and horns can be seen in all poaching sites, while a large number of cashmere-removed Tibetan antelope skins are found in many other places, which can fully prove that obtaining Tibetan antelope cashmere is the fundamental purpose of killing Tibetan antelopes.

2. Tibetan antelope cashmere trade brings huge profits to poachers. After a large number of Tibetan antelopes were killed to obtain cashmere, some cashmere was hidden by smugglers in quilts, down jackets or petrol cans, vehicles and cashmere, and smuggled out of the country through ports such as Zhangmu and Pulan in Tibet, China; Other smugglers carry animals on their backs and take them to secret border trading points for trading. Outside China, the price of Tibetan antelope 1 kg raw wool can reach1000 ~ 2,000 dollars, while the price of a scarf woven from 300 ~ 400 grams of Tibetan antelope wool can reach 5,000 ~ 30,000 dollars. Such high profits have further stimulated the desire of poachers, enabling them to obtain more effective weapons and equipment for slaughtering Tibetan antelopes. Undoubtedly, this has further increased the difficulty of China's attack.

3. China has never used the traditional custom of Tibetan antelope cashmere, and there is no consumer market for Tibetan antelope cashmere and its products. The cashmere of Tibetan antelope obtained by poachers will eventually be converted into the funds or materials they need outside China. Based on the comprehensive analysis of the above-mentioned actual situation, many international organizations and people concerned about the protection of Tibetan antelopes have reached the same conclusion as ours: it is precisely because of the processing and trade of Tibetan antelopes in some countries and regions that they have brought rich profits to poachers and stimulated poaching activities to intensify until they threatened the survival of Tibetan antelopes. It is a key and urgent task to fundamentally eliminate the processing trade of Tibetan antelope cashmere that still exists in some countries and regions.

5. Protecting Tibetan antelope needs the understanding and common action of the international community.

Today's society has generally realized that uncontrolled international trade in wild animals and their products is bound to seriously undermine the natural development of some wild animals and plants, and even endanger the survival of species; However, it is difficult to control the international trade of wild animals and plants and their products and protect certain species only by relying on the strength of a certain country. Based on this understanding and profound understanding of the value of each species, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora was born in Washington on March 3, 1973. On this basis, many countries and regions began a series of international cooperation in wildlife protection, and the achievements attracted worldwide attention.

At present, herds of Tibetan antelopes die in groans, while poachers, processors and traders still make huge profits soaked in the blood of Tibetan antelopes through smuggling and illegal international trade in some countries and regions. In order to pursue fashion, some consumers are numb as accomplices and intensify their efforts to kill Tibetan antelopes. This is not only a confrontation with the relevant laws of many countries, but also a contempt for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and a trampling on the will of all mankind to protect wild animals. Therefore, we draw the attention of the relevant governments, organizations and people, especially the countries and regions where the processing trade of Tibetan antelope cashmere fabric still exists, and take effective measures to stop it.

Protecting Tibetan antelopes and endangered wild animals is the firm determination of the China government and the good will of the people of China. The government and people of China have made and will continue to make unremitting efforts to this end. However, because there is a huge lucrative processing trade and consumption market for Tibetan antelope cashmere and its fabrics outside China, the cooperation and efforts of the international community are urgently needed to protect and save the Tibetan antelope population. In this regard, we sincerely hope that the governments, organizations and people of relevant countries will cherish the value of this ancient species of Tibetan antelope and the good will of human beings to protect wild animals, truly realize the importance and necessity of strengthening international cooperation to protect Tibetan antelope, and take effective actions to crack down on and stop all activities that endanger the survival of Tibetan antelope, such as processing trade and consumption of Tibetan antelope hair, so as to promote the final recovery and development of Tibetan antelope population.

China Tibetan Antelope Protection Team acquires advanced equipment.

On July 24th, the State Forestry Administration and the International Animal Welfare Foundation held separate ceremonies to present and donate materials and equipment with a total value of 6.5438+0.3 million yuan to the forest police in Hoh Xil Nature Reserve and Tibetan antelope distribution area, so as to strengthen the protection of endangered Tibetan antelopes.

The materials donated by Forestry Bureau include: 4 police jeeps, 2 sniper rifles 12, spotlights and searchlights 10, hand-held satellite positioning navigator 10, 5 shortwave radio, 25 bulletproof vests and helmets, and 6 cameras, with a value of 800,000 yuan.

International fund for animal welfare donated communication equipment and other materials, including generators, radios, global positioning devices, night vision devices, binoculars, tents, sleeping bags, etc., to the 15 Forest Public Security Bureau and police station representatives from Xinjiang, Qinghai and Tibet. This is the second time that the Foundation has made a special contribution to the protection of Tibetan antelopes in China.

Tibetan antelopes are endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. They live in northern Xizang Autonomous Region, Hoh Xil in Qinghai Province and Altun Mountain in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. At least 20,000 Tibetan antelopes are slaughtered every year due to the lure of high profits in the international illegal market. It is estimated that there are only about 50 thousand Tibetan antelopes left at present.

In order to protect the resources of Tibetan antelopes, the China government has successively established Qiangtang, Altun Mountain and Hoh Xil Nature Reserves, and set up a special law enforcement team-Forest Public Security, which is responsible for cracking down on illegal and criminal activities that destroy wildlife resources, and has achieved great results.

Ma Fu, deputy director of the State Forestry Administration, said that because Tibetan antelopes are mainly distributed in remote areas, the equipment of law enforcement agencies is still relatively backward, which has affected the crackdown on illegal poaching activities. To this end, the State Forestry Administration allocated 2 million yuan for the protection of Tibetan antelopes in Hoh Xil this year, of which 800,000 yuan was used to purchase these materials and equipment.