Wild camel flock found in Turpan Basin

Wild camel flock found in Turpan Basin
www.chinanews.cn 2007-08-03 09:09:35







Chinanews, Urumqi, August 3 – Zoologists in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were surprised to find a wild camel flock of 44 in the Gobi desert south to the Shanshan County, in the Turpan Basin. This is the first time to see so big a wild camel flock since the founding of Wild Camel Reserve in China.

Wild camel has been put on the Red Book of Endangered Species of the World Conservation Union, for its population is even smaller than the population of giant panda. It is estimated that there are only 800 wild camels in the world, 50% of which live in Xinjiang.

The traces of wild camels were found on last July 23 by the Wild Camel Protection Team. The next day, the team met the camels at a fountain nearby.

Actually it is rare to find so many wild camels at a time even in Lop Nur, the center of the Wild Camel Reserve.