Tibetan antelope

Medium-sized animals native to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, they live in the harsh conditions that dominate at 4,000 to 5,500 meters above sea level, a zone known locally as "the area forbidden to mankind".

Tibetan antelopes feed on forbs, grasses and sedges, often digging through snow to obtain food in winter.

Their natural predators include wolves and snow leopards, while red foxes are known to prey on young calves.

In the 1980s and '90s, the Tibetan antelope became an endangered species as a result of excessive poaching. They are hunted for their extremely soft, light and warm underfur, which is used to weave luxury shawls.

In 1997, the central government established the Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve solely to protect the Tibetan antelope population.

According to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the number of wild Tibetan antelopes nationwide has risen from about 70,000 in the late 1990s to more than 300,000 now.

Last year, the status of Tibetan antelopes in China was downgraded to "near threatened" from "endangered" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.

The animal is under level-one national protection, the highest level in China's List of Wild Animals under State Priority Conservation.

Wild yak

Large, wild bovines native to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, their primary habitat consists of treeless uplands lying between 3,000 and 6,000 meters and dominated by mountains and plateaus.

Wild yaks are herd animals. Their herds can contain several hundred individuals and consist primarily of females and their young, with a smaller number of adult males.

Wild yaks are listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List, and are under level-one national protection for wild animals in China.

Males are especially threatened by poachers as a result of their solitary lifestyle.

Snow leopard

The snow leopard is native to the mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. It is listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List and is under level-one national protection in China. It is threatened by poaching and habitat destruction. The snow leopard inhabits alpine and subalpine zones at heights of 3,000 to 4,500 meters.

Greenhouse gas emissions and climate change will probably cause the Himalayan tree line to move and result in the alpine zone shrinking, which may reduce the animal's habitat.

The snow leopard is usually solitary, and active mostly at dawn and sunset.

It is capable of killing most animals in its habitat, but it also eats a significant amount of vegetation, including grass and twigs.

Black-necked crane

The black-necked crane is a medium-sized crane that is mostly gray with a black head and neck. It mainly lives at high altitudes on alpine meadows, lakeside and riverine valleys.

It is the only crane that lives and breeds on plateaus.

Like many other cranes, it is believed to form long-lasting pair bonds, and dancing displays are seen during the breeding season.

The black-necked crane is designated as "near threatened" on the IUCN Red List. As such, it is under the highest level of protection for wild animals in China.

Prickly blue poppy

This plant grows in rocky areas and grassy slopes at altitudes ranging from 3,100 to about 6,000 meters. The flowers, usually blue or reddish-blue, are 5 to 7.5 centimeters in size, and the stalks are usually less than 22 cm long. The plant is used in traditional Chinese medicine because of its anti-inflammatory and analgesic qualities.

It is hard for flowers to grow on the high-altitude plateau because of the low temperatures and strong winds.

Therefore, such plants are usually short and only have a few large petals, or alternatively many small petals, to attract insects for the purposes of fertilization.

By ZOU SHUO