The population of the rare Tibetan antelopes exceeds 200,000 after being classified endangered few decades ago.

The Chang Tang National Nature Reserve in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) is the main habitat for the antelopes although they can be seen also in other areas on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in western China.

The Chang Tang National Nature Reserve (羌塘国家级自然保护区) has been formalized in 2000 and gradually expanded since then. With a size of almost Spain, it is the world’s third largest reserve in the world after Northeast Greenland National Park and Kavango-Zambesi Conservation Area in Southern Africa.

With an average plateau height of 4,600 meters with peaks over 6,000 meters, the immense reserve of high altitude grass and shrub lands along with alpine lakes are not only home to the Tibetan Antelopes (藏羚羊) but also to other rare indigenous animals such as the wild yak, Tibetan wild ass or kiang, Himalayan blue sheep, Argali and Mongolian gazelle.

A 60,000 Tibetan antelopes' herd migrating in the Chang Tang National Nature Reserve

A herd of bathing antelopes CGTN

Their predators are also present in this reserve; Tibetan wolves, lynxes and blue bears, and snow leopards. At the bottom end of the food chain are the Himalayan pikas.

There are only a few Tibetan nomads living in this huge area along with park rangers.

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