Tibetan antelopes in their natural habitat in Qinghai Province. (Photo : Reuters)
The mission to preserve the habitat of the Tibetan antelope in the Hoh Xil area of China's Qinghai Province continues after a heritage application was initiated at the end of 2014.
Jia Yingzhong, director of Qinghai's Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, informed the media that, during this year, "we will try to put Hoh Xil on China's tentative list of world heritage sites." Furthermore, the campaigners will assess the area's natural resources and collate the necessary documentation for corresponding reports.
If the 2015 action proceeds smoothly, then the Hoh Xil area will be nominated as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site two years later. A vote at the annual meeting of the World Heritage Committee in 2017 will then determine whether a World Natural Heritage categorization is appropriate.
Aside from being the home of the Tibetan antelope, Hoh Xil also provides a natural haven for over 230 species of animals, 20 of which are under state protection. These species include the wild yak, the wild donkey, the white-lip deer and the brown bear.
The endangerment of the Tibetan antelope originated in the late 20th century, as the shahtoosh, a shawl made with the animal's hair, was in high demand in the U.S. and Europe. Once numbering 200,000, the antelope population was as small as 20,000 by 1997.
However, no illegal hunting has been conducted since 2006, and as a result, at least 60,000 Tibetan antelopes now live in the area.
Even though 47 Chinese locations have been approved for the World Heritage list thus far, the categorization of Hoh Xil would be the first time that an area in the Qinghai Province is added.
