Information from the Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve of Gansu on the 4th of January indicated that, during the recent sample-plot survey carried out by the Qilian Mountain Wild Animal Resource Investigation Team, a big population of the animals currently under national protection including Tibetan chigetais and Tibetan goas was found.

It is said that, from December 18th to 21st 2015, when launching the sample-plot survey at a flood dam in the the Qifeng Station in the Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve, the Qilian Mountain Wild Animal Resource Investigation Team discovered over 130 Tibetan donkeys, more than 30 Tibetan goas, and more than 100 blue sheep. Furthermore, there were more than 30 Tibetan donkeys found at the Yema Fountain.

The Tibetan chegetai is an animal under China’s first-class national protection, listed as one in the endangered wild animals/vegetation species mentioned in AppendixⅠof the International Trade Convention. Tibetan donkeys have the largest bodily form amongst all wild donkeys with an average shoulder height of 140 centimeters; its outer appearance resembles the Monglian chegetai. Tibetan donkeys live in cold desert zones. In the summer time, they move to the high mountain areas at more than 5,000-meter altitudes to live; yet in the winter time they come down to low-altitude areas to live. Tibetan donkeys have the habit of living and moving in groups. The male, female and the young donkeys lead a wandering life together all year round. Normally, one group is composed of 5 to 6 donkeys, a bigger group can include over ten, while the biggest group can consist of up to a hundred donkeys. A small group is led by a maledonkey, as they wander around.

The Tibetan goa is an animal under second-class national protection; its bodily form is thinner than the Procapra przewalskii (Przewalski's gazelle). The Tibetan goa is an animal that typically lives in high mountain cold desert areas. They inhabit high mountain meadows at altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 5,750 meters and semi-high mountain meadows as well as high mountain desert zones. They live in groups of different sizes depending on the season. Normally, the groups get bigger during the winter and spring time, often including over ten goas and even up to a hundred from time to time.

The Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve is a forest and wildlife type nature reserve established by the State Council. It is located along the central and eastern part of the north slopes of the Qilian Mountain’s in Gansu Province, extending across 3 cities and 8 counties (regions) of Gansu Province. According to records, in the past, Tibetan donkeys and Tibetan goas were distributed in the surrounding areas of the Qilian Tibet Township in the Sunan Yugu Autonomous County of Gansu Province. However, the over-herding done by humans later obstructed the living environment of the Tibetan donkeys and Tibetan goas, resulting in an extreme lack of food for the animals. This led to a sharp decline in the number of the Tibetan donkeys and Tibetan goas.

In recent years, by taking measures such as periodical moving-around investigation as well as poaching prohibition etc., the Qifeng Station of the Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve has continuously improved the ecological environment of the nature reserve, protecting effectively the wild animal resources within the nature reserve. This has led to a gradual restoration in quantity of the rare wild animal species such as Tibetan donkeys and Tibetan goas.