Wildlife population surges in Tibet: survey

LHASA - The wildlife population in Tibet has risen significantly during the last two decades, according to a government-supported survey released on Friday.

The survey, conducted in the Qamdo Prefecture of eastern Tibet, said there had been a steady growth of fauna diversity.

In Mangkam County's Honglashan Nature Reserve, the number of endangered Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys has increased to more than 700 from about 50 in the 1990s, according to researchers.

In Riwoche Red Deer Nature Reserve, the number of red deer has risen to over 900 from about 700.

A snow leopard was also spotted in eastern Tibet last month.

"It was found in a mountain peak at an altitude of 4,600 meters. We identified it as an adult snow leopard three to five years old," said Zhu Xuelin, director of the autonomous region's forestry research institute.

Tibetan nature reserves cover 410,000 square kilometers, about 33.9 percent of the region's whole area.

Tibetan authorities have been increasing efforts to stop poaching and illegal trading of wildlife.