Protection work

Conservation efforts have played a key role in the resurgence of the species' populations.

"The locals in the pastoral region of the Qilian Mountains had a tradition of hunting," Ma said. "However, following the enactment of China's Wildlife Protection Law and the establishment of the Gansu Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve in 1988, efforts to combat hunting and poaching wildlife were intensified. By the 21st century, this tradition had been completely reversed."

Nevertheless, the path to safeguarding the ecosystem and biodiversity has been fraught with new challenges and persistent obstacles. In 2015, the former ministry of environmental protection flagged four major issues during a disciplinary meeting with the Zhangye city government and the Gansu Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve: excessive mining, an abundance of hydropower facilities, unauthorized tourism and overgrazing.

In 2017, a central inspection team was dispatched to Gansu to investigate the problems, prompting the government to pledge a comprehensive restoration of the Qilian Mountains' environment.

"A prime example of our rectification efforts is the closure of all 144 mining areas in the Qilian Mountains," said Guo Shengxiang, deputy director of the Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve's management center. "These sites were backfilled, leveled and covered with soil. We planted forests where suitable and grass in other areas, with enhanced artificial management. In 2021, the Chinese Academy of Sciences evaluated our restoration efforts and deemed them highly successful."

In 2017, the Qilian Mountains were designated as a pilot national park, covering 50,200 square kilometers. The region was divided into core protection and general control zones, and residents in the core protection zone were encouraged to participate in ecological migration.

"The aim is to preserve a complete natural ecosystem for future generations," Guo said.

The government provided the migrants homes and subsidies to offset grazing bans, and offered them positions as forest rangers or alternative livelihood training.

"In the Gansu section of Qilian Mountain National Park, we've employed 2,425 forest rangers, most of whom are local migrants," Guo said.

Ma Jiancheng, head of the Xiangyangtai resource management center of Sidalong station, which is part of the Qilian Mountain reserve, has been working as a forest ranger for 26 years. Each month, he and his colleagues spend at least 20 days patrolling deep in the mountains at altitudes above 3,000 meters. During the patrols, they are tasked with preventing illegal logging, poaching, unauthorized fires and damage to forests and grasslands, while also documenting wildlife sightings.

Now, their work is empowered by technology, as each ranger is equipped with a program on their phones to record their patrol routes. If they spot wildlife or signs of human activity, they immediately take photos and upload them to the program.

"Moreover, the rangers regularly conduct aerial patrols using drones, and video monitoring towers and infrared cameras have been set up to better monitor wildlife movements, human activities and fire warnings," Ma Jiancheng said.

"The results of the environmental and ecological protection efforts over the years have been very evident. Nowadays, we often see wildlife such as musk deer, red deer, blue sheep, blue eared pheasants, golden eagles and even snow leopards during patrol," he added.

Data from the Qilian Mountain reserve's management center shows that the reserve is now home to 360 species of wildlife, including 24 species under national first-class protection.

Simultaneously, the mindset of local herders has transformed.

"After transitioning from herders to ecological rangers, their awareness of ecological protection has significantly increased, turning them from environmental disrupters into protectors," Ma Jiancheng observed.