Shrinking lake poses threat to desert's wildlife

China's largest desert freshwater lake is in danger of drying up, experts have warned.

Hongjiannao Lake, on the border between Shaanxi province's Shenmu county and Ejin Horo Banner in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has shrunk significantly in recent years, according to the Shenmu county government.

The water quality has also deteriorated, leaving the lake almost devoid of fish and hitting the local population of relict gulls, which are classified as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.