Photographer documents thriving protected species

Photographer Li Zhigang has taken a series of pictures of bharal, or blue sheep running along Helan Mountain in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region on April 4.

These animals are classified under the nation's second class of protection. They have been inhabiting in the area for a long time.

With the continuous improvement of environmental protection in Helan Mountain, the number of bharal in the area has been increasing sharply, from around 1,500 in 1983 to nearly 40,000 at the present day.