Xizang rangers devoted to wildlife conservation

In the heartland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where oxygen is thin and temperatures plummet even in summer, a team of rangers is waging a daily battle against icy currents to save newborn Tibetan antelopes.

Every July, female antelopes that have just given birth lead their calves back across the Senlung Tsangpo River, a crucial waterway within the Changtang National Nature Reserve in Nyima county, Xizang autonomous region. The river, though narrow in some places, poses a risk to calves less than a month old with its strong undercurrents and near-freezing waters.

For the 14 rangers of the Tsonormo management station, this is the busiest and most danger-filled time of the year. At an altitude above 5,200 meters, the team sets up temporary camps along the riverbanks, watching for any sign of distress and working in two rotating teams, with each group stationed at the post for a month.

"This is the land that raised us, and we share a deep bond with the antelopes," said Jojo, a 46-year-old ranger who often jumps into the cold water without hesitation to help animals in distress.

"We will do everything we can to save them. They are like our own children."

This year alone, the team has already rescued 156 antelope calves. Among them, 36 were too weak to be released back into the wild immediately and are under the rangers' care at the station where they are fed milk twice a day and are monitored routinely.

A father-son duo, Jojo and his eldest son Rinchen Chodron, both serve at the station. As a result of the rotation system, they only see each other during shift changes. "We miss each other, but the work is more important," Jojo said.

The Changtang reserve, covering an area of nearly 300,000 square kilometers, is the highest-altitude nature reserve in the world. Uninhabitable for humans, the reserve teems with wildlife, including Tibetan antelopes, wild yaks, kiangs (Tibetan wild donkeys), and even brown bears and snow leopards. According to the Nyima county government, more than 150,000 Tibetan antelopes migrate through the county annually and local officials said the actual number could be even higher thanks to decades of conservation efforts.

Across the county, 11 protection stations employ 135 fulltime rangers.

Their duties have evolved over the years, from anti-poaching patrols to population monitoring, rescue operations, and even guiding animal movements away from hazardous conditions.

The rangers' efforts are part of a broader, long-term conservation success story. In 2015, Xizang established the Nagchu Management Bureau for the national nature reserve, setting up 36 professional management stations.

Between 2021 and 2025, Nyima county facilitated nearly 1,000 routine patrols and more than 10 large-scale coordinated protection operations. As a result, populations of rare and endangered species — including Tibetan antelopes, wild yaks, and snow leopards — have steadily rebounded. According to a document released by the regional government in June 2024, the region's Tibetan antelope population had grown to over 300,000 in 2023.

However, the job is not without its hardships.

The Tsonormo station has no electricity and lacks cellphone network coverage. In winter, rangers chip ice from the river for drinking water. When motorcycles break down, they walk for hours across the barren land. They spend months in isolation.

Despite these challenges, they find moments of joy. At dusk, back at the camp, they sing songs to ease the day's fatigue.

"Seeing the growing numbers of wild yaks, kiangs, and antelopes makes me happy," Jojo said.

Contact the writers at wangsongsong@chinadaily.com.cn