Wildlife has friends in high places
Changtang, meaning "northern wilderness", covers a total area of 298,000 sq km, making it the highest-altitude and largest natural reserve in China.
It stands as one of 36 global biodiversity hotspots, acting as a crucial freshwater reservoir, climate stabilizer, and a dense habitat for the country's rare and endangered high-altitude wildlife.
Biodiversity hotspots are regions that are biologically rich — and deeply threatened.
Established as an autonomous region-level reserve in 1993, it was upgraded to a national-level reserve in 2000. Encompassing seven counties in Nagchu and Ngari prefecture in Xizang, the reserve primarily aims to preserve the intact and unique high-altitude ecosystem and diverse large-hoofed species. It also features extensive modern glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, spanning over 3,596 sq km. As the core and epitome of the plateau, it represents a geographical unit with the most distinct high-altitude ecological characteristics.
Preliminary records indicate the presence of 390 plant species and 158 animal species, including 16 species under national first-level protection and 30 under national second-level protection.
As a major habitat for the Tibetan antelope under first-level protection in China, rangers in the Changtang reserve have seen an increase in antelope population, thanks to the country's efforts to improve its habitat and crack down on poaching.
