Wild camels in a nature reserve in the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region will be better protected since the area has been upgraded by the State Council to a national nature reserve.  

The Lop Nur Wild Camel Nature Reserve in Xinjiang was jointly established by the Chinese government and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) years ago.

The wild bactrian camels are estimated to number 800 individuals worldwide and are rarer than the giant pandas.

At present, the camels are confined to three small relic populations in China's Taklimakan desert and the deserts around the arid Lop Nur lake and marshlands in Xinjiang, and in a small part of Mongolia's Gobi desert.

The recent move aims to better restore camel habitats, crack down on hunting and poaching, and develop strategies to boost breeding and reduce risks of in-breeding of the wild camels.

There are a total of 226 natural reserves in China at present.

(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2003)