Data shows China's single-humped camels, which had early descended on the ancient Silk Road to Xinjiang, have almost become extinct.

Double-humped camels, hitting 640,000 at the peak time of 1981, have decreased at an annual rate of 7.1 percent to 320,000 during the 16 years from 1982 to 1998. According to positive prediction, not more than 250,000 camels have remained to this day.

Li Fusuo, deputy director from the Inner Mongolia Alashan League Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau sighed with pity for people used to see large herds of camels in Alashan League, where large numbers of camels had gathered. In 1982, Alashan League embraced its peak time for raising 250,000 camels, about one third of the total throughout the country. However, only 62,000 were left by the end of December 2001.

Just within one year have camels in Alashan League experienced a dramatic drop. Butcher of camels has never stopped.

Experts say female camels with reproductive ability should remain 10,000 based on species protection theory. However, data reveals camels all over the country are decreasing.

It takes camels a long time to grow up and reproduce. Male camels are mature at 8, female, 4, and they can only give birth to a little camel every two years. Regarding that reproductive speed, camels are going to die out as an endangered species in China.

( People's Daily June 24, 2002)