A photo taken on May 30, 2023 shows a Tibetan antelope in Northwest China's Hoh Xil, a nature reserve. [Photo/Xinhua]

XINING -- At the 3,001 km mark of the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, a captivating scene unfolded as herds of female Tibetan antelopes gathered on the side of the road.

With the lead antelope vigilantly assessing the surroundings and ensuring safety, the herds swiftly traversed the highway, embarking on a journey toward their calving ground in Northwest China's Hoh Xil, a nature reserve that encompasses China's largest area of uninhabited land within the Sanjiangyuan National Park.

"We have recently intensified patrols along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, and implemented traffic control measures, no-horn policies and rescue initiatives to guarantee the safety of the antelopes," said Jamyang Dorji, a staff member of the Wudaoliang protection station of the Hoh Xil reserve administration.

The destination of these herds lies nestled deep within the heart of Hoh Xil, at an elevation of over 4,600 meters, where this species has roamed and thrived for centuries.

Every year, tens of thousands of pregnant Tibetan antelopes start their migration to Hoh Xil in around May to give birth and leave with their offspring in late July.

Renowned as one of the world's most breathtaking migrations of hoofed animals, the majestic journey serves as a testament to China's achievements in biodiversity conservation and national park development.

"Despite the high altitude, frigid temperatures and thin air, Hoh Xil is a paradise for wildlife. Tibetan antelopes, wild yaks, Tibetan wild donkeys, Tibetan foxes, brown bears and various other species inhabit here," said Wang Xiangguo, director of the management bureau of Sanjiangyuan National Park.

However, the wildlife protection efforts at the world natural heritage site once experienced a low ebb, when its iconic wildlife species of Tibetan antelope was in peril, due to poaching sprees. During the 1980s and 1990s, the population of Tibetan antelopes in Hol Xil dropped to less than 20,000.

In the 1990s, China initiated a string of actions to push back against poaching on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, employing stringent measures to preserve the Tibetan antelope population. In 1996, the provincial-level nature reserve of Hoh Xil was officially established, before its elevation to a national-level nature reserve the subsequent year. Additionally, the Chinese government has consistently bolstered its commitment to protecting the biodiversity of Hoh Xil, setting up protection stations along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway.

Thanks to the country's active anti-poaching and biodiversity protection efforts in recent years, Hoh Xil is now home to more than 70,000 Tibetan antelopes. The status of Tibetan antelopes in China has been upgraded from "endangered" to "near threatened."

"Nowadays, Hoh Xil stands as China's largest world natural heritage site, boasting the highest average elevation and maintaining a high-altitude ecosystem and iconic species of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau," said Wang. "It has become a vital 'sanctuary of life' for the once endangered rare wildlife."

The remarkable success was partly attributed to the numerous rangers of the national park who have steadfastly guarded the wildlife on the "roof of the world."

Upon entering the area, the rangers must confront the harsh natural environment and face the challenges posed by high-altitude oxygen deprivation, unpredictable weather conditions and rugged terrain. During the summer, marshes turn muddy, impeding their patrol while gushing rivers obstruct the patrol routes. In the winter, everything succumbs to the frigid cold, freezing even the breath of these rangers.

Therefore, as the rangers load their provisions, including blankets and fuel supplies, into the vehicle before embarking on their journey, they would usually engage in a poignant ritual -- embraces are shared, heartfelt gestures exchanged, and tears glisten in their eyes -- fully aware that each patrol carries the weight of uncertainty, with no guarantee of returning unscathed.

"The days of mountain patrol are marked by solitary journeys through uninhabited terrain," said Longdrup Tsegya, a ranger at the park.

With the reputation of Hoh Xil as an ecological treasure spreading far and wide, a growing number of locals are aligning themselves with fellow environmental conservationists, eager to contribute to the preservation efforts. Gyasang, a 65-year-old herdsman in Chumahe Township, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province, has dedicated the past 15 years of his life to patrolling and safeguarding Tibetan antelopes.

In 2008, Gyasang took the initiative to build a Tibetan antelope escort team to ensure the safe passage of the antelopes to areas north of the Qinghai-Tibet Highway.

"At the inception of the escort team, we had 30 members. It was a strenuous task to safely guide the Tibetan antelopes, and when we dismounted from our horses, our backs would ache unbearably," Gyasang recalled.

This year, Gyasang and his escort team successfully guided nearly ten thousand Tibetan antelopes passing through his village. The team has now expanded to 55 members.

Speaking to Xinhua, Dorji Drundup, party chief of Chumahe Township, said that the changes from carrying the antelopes on horseback in the past to the current motorcycle escort represent centuries of harmonious coexistence between human beings and Tibetan antelopes. "They are just like our families, and safeguarding their calves is our duty."