In the forests of Mount Helan, flocks of yellow-mouth crows are flying and strolling around at sites a few meters from explorers or tourists.

On the roads zigzagging to the mount, weasels and hares are always seen running one after another among rocks.

"Red deer and bharals can also be seen in early morning or late night here," said Fan Xueli who was a herdsman in this area and now a guide for exploration teams.

Helan Mountain, a juncture of Ningxia and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is not only an important ecological forest area, but also a natural barrier blocking deserts and cold currents from the western regions.

In the valleys, there is even a chance of seeing more than 100 bharals running together, he said.

In 1988, China set up the Helan Nature Reserve covering an area of 2.3 million mu (153,000 hectares). "Local residents and tourists have made great efforts to protect the environment here," said an official with the reserve.

The area has become home to more and more wild animals in recent years, the official said.

According to the official, there are over 800 species of wild animals, in which 170 are vertebrates, inhabiting the reserve. A dozen of the wild animals are under the state-level protection.

Red deer and bharals have increased by 30 percent as compared with 10 years ago, he said, the latest survey showed that the number of bharals here is over 10,000.

Ma Yongqi, a researcher, said than he has collected many wild animal bones nearby, showing reporters a complete horn of wild bharal.

The hunting of wild animals has long been banned in the reserve, the official said, adding that local farmers now often help injured animals return home or send them to related department for treatment.

(06/13/2001 China Daily)