XINING, July 17 (Xinhua) -- Seven baby antelopes who got lost during migration were safely sent to a wildlife rescue center on Tuesday in northwest China's Hoh Xil nature reserve.
Zonag Lake in Hoh Xil is known as the "delivery room" for the species. Every year, tens of thousands of pregnant Tibetan antelopes migrate to Hoh Xil in May to give birth, leaving with their offspring in August.
"The babies can get separated from the migrating groups during the journey which can be as long as 1,000 miles," said Guo Xuehu, vice head with the Zonag Lake protection station.
The station saved the seven baby antelopes and transferred them to the wildlife rescue center of Sonam Dargye protection station.
The rescuers will feed the kids with milk to start and later bring them to grasslands and feed them with both milk and forage. They will be set free in July next year when the mother antelopes start their migration again.
The rescue center was set up in 2000, and more than 400 antelopes have been saved there.
Tibetan antelopes are mostly found in Tibet Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The species is under first-class state protection in China.
In the 1980s, the Tibetan antelope population declined sharply from 200,000 to 20,000, due to illegal hunting. It has recovered thanks to measures to improve its habitat and a ban on illegal hunting.
In July 2017, Hoh Xil became a world heritage site and is now home to about 60,000 Tibetan antelopes.
