Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, one of the habitats for Tibetan antelopes, has intensified efforts to protect the rare animals.

The region has set up a 20-member team to patrol in the Kunlun Mountains Nature Reserve, in the southern part of Xinjiang, to prevent the antelopes from being poached.

Consisting of police officers from the forestry and wild animal protection departments and forest rangers, the team will mainly patrol the major roaming and breeding areas of the antelopes from  May to August each year.

The program is expected to increase the number of antelopes in the protection zone by 20,000 within the next five years, said Yu Sufu, director with the regional office for wild animal protection.

Located in the Qiemo County, the 30,000-square km Kunlun Mountains Nature Reserve is now home to about 20,000 Tibetan  antelopes, accounting for 20 percent of the total number in  Xinjiang and the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Each year, a large number of Tibetan antelopes move from the Altun Mountains to this protection zone to give birth. Hunting of antelopes has been reported along migration routes since the 1990s.

(China Daily December 12, 2003)