Photographers tag along for migration of Tibetan antelope across 'roof of the world'

Editor's note: As protection of the planet's flora, fauna and resources becomes increasingly important, China Daily is publishing a series of stories to illustrate the country's commitment to safeguarding the natural world.

A wildlife ranger pets an injured female Tibetan antelope in Changtang National Nature Reserve in the Xizang autonomous region in June. The antelope had been attacked by a wolf en route to its birthing ground. TENZIN/XINHUA

July is not only one of the busiest times of year for wildlife rangers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, but also a time of great care and responsibility. Here, rangers and researchers at the Xizang Changtang National Nature Reserve, located at an altitude of 5,000 meters above sea level, observe and monitor the mass migration of Tibetan antelopes.

Some 150,000 Tibetan antelopes, also known as chiru, live high up on the plateau and migrate from Qinghai province to the Changtang reserve to birth their young.

The species used to be listed as endangered due in part to them being hunted for their fur, but years of conservation work has lifted their number and they are now classified as near threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

This year, the wildlife rangers have been joined by a team of photographers and filmmakers to document the migration, typically ranging from several hundred kilometers to about 1,000 km, across what is known by many as the "roof of the world".

Starting from a patrol station in Rungma township, documentary filmmaker Zhang Lina and two photographers, Guo Peng and Xu Qianbo, ride by motorcycle across hills and streams for 3 hours to catch up with the migrating herds.

"Although the flow of the rivers along the way is not particularly strong, the river channels are deep and long. Adult Tibetan antelopes can generally leap over easily, but young ones are at high risk of being swept away by the currents and drowning," Zhang said.

"The rangers wait downstream to try and rescue them."

Ranger Kelsang Lhundrup takes photos of wildlife during a patrol in the Changtang reserve in December. JIANG FAN/XINHUA

Zhang's aim on her filming trip is to learn and better understand the stories of these rangers and the role they play in protecting Tibetan antelopes.

"Most of the wildlife rangers in Xizang speak Tibetan and are not proficient in Mandarin, so their stories are pretty scarce outside of their own language," she said.

"But when we personally accompany them into the wilderness, although there isn't much verbal communication, in the scenes of rescue, their respect for life is very touching and inspiring to us."

Zhang and her team are passionate about nature, and often task themselves with staking out in the wild to capture the behaviors of wild animals as well as local flora.

During their 5-day journey across the plateau, Zhang and her team were able to assist the rangers in rescuing 43 Tibetan antelopes.

There are over 100 patrol stations in the Changtang National Nature Reserve, where thousands of wildlife workers patrol by motorbike tasked with protecting nature, preventing poaching and documenting the development of biodiversity.

"Unlike the rangers, we are photographers and want to take great photos, but when confronted with an animal in trouble we are left with a choice. However, when it is right in front of you there is no hesitation," Zhang said.

"In our work, the people we interact with the most are the front-line rangers engaged in wildlife conservation. They work year-round in the cold and high-altitude protected areas, carrying out patrols and rescue missions. They are intimate partners of wildlife, as well as our good companions and guides," she said.

A year ago, Zhang and cofounder Yang Xu set up Friends of the Himalayan Wilderness, a group aimed at documenting the stories of wildlife rangers.

Through their lenses, the lives of rangers are being better understood as well as their heart-pounding experiences in nature, such as rescuing snow leopards, discovering rare animals, sharing local folklore about deer and reminiscing about the ancient fairy tales told by their grandmothers.

"Their attitudes don't change whether they are caring for 'flagship' species or little-known ones. Whenever they encounter an animal in need of help, they wholeheartedly assist. They also give nature so much respect, maintain a distance until an animal's injuries heal, and then promptly release them back into the wild, rather than treating them as pets," Zhang said.

A snow leopard is released back into the wild in the Changtang reserve in May. The leopard had broken into a local herder's sheepfold and killed four sheep two nights prior. Local authorities captured it and released at to the reserve far from human activities. JIANG FAN/XINHUA

Tsultrim Tharchen is a close friend of Zhang. He is the captain of 42 wildlife rangers in the Xizang Serling Tso National Nature Reserve and has been working there for over 15 years.

"Having spent so much time with animals, it seems that Tibetan antelopes and black-necked cranes are not afraid of him. He has developed a sensitive eye for any changes in nature. He loves photography, and we have discovered that he has a unique eye as a wildlife photographer," Zhang said.

Therefore, Zhang and her team began teaching him how to use high-definition cameras and drones for aerial photography.

In April, they collaborated to produce a public service short film titled Giving Voice to the Voiceless Wildlife, which garnered hundreds of thousands of views online. One comment read, "We never expected there to be such a group of people in Xizang who genuinely love and protect wildlife."

Since last year, Zhang and her team provided free photography training for wildlife rangers, hoping that by empowering those closest to nature to capture more precious moments, they can enhance their skills and increase their income.

"Many rangers hadn't a clue when we first gave them these cameras, but now they can proficiently capture the animals they encounter on patrol. We also teach them how to publish their work on resource websites, where users pay to download it. We hope that in the future, they may even win prizes in photography competitions," Zhang said.

Filmmakers from the Friends of the Himalayan Wilderness film from a tent. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Over the past 2 years, Zhang has spread the stories of these Tibetan wildlife rangers to cities such as Lhasa, Beijing and Shanghai, garnering greater attention to the valuable work that they do.

Consequently, they have secured sponsorships and have been able to purchase three cameras, a camcorder and 10 night-vision cameras.

Some clothing brands and companies producing cultural products have been moved by the stories of the rangers and provided them and their families with opportunities for remote work, asking them to produce locally distinctive handicrafts.

"We are continuously expanding collaborative public welfare projects related to ecological reserves and rural sustainable development, hoping to attract more social enterprises and individuals to participate and contribute," Zhang said.

In August, Zhang began designing and producing Tibetan language courses on how to shoot and produce videos with mobile phones. Perhaps in the future, more wildlife rangers will have access to these skills, and more precious wildlife images will be recorded and shared, she said.

Contact the writers at yandongjie@chinadaily.com.cn

Zhang Lina patrols with a conservationist friend. [Photo provided to China Daily]