A Tibetan Tragedy : Blizzard Threatens Survival of Last Great Herds

Neither tree nor tall shrub grows on the bleak uplands of Tibet. As far as the eye can see are barren plains and rumpled hills covered with herbage so scant it leaves only the vaguest impression. No shelter exists from freezing winds or the sun´s glare. Yet in this desolation, at an elevation averaging 16,000 feet, there once lived great wild herds that rivaled those on the plains of North  America.   "For  many  miles in every direction there were thousands of antelope in large herds," wrote one traveler in 1900. "There was a tremendous lot of wildlife in this region, which is in effect a sort of sanctuary undisturbed by man. Herds of yaks, wild asses, and gazelles were all quite easy to get near," wrote another only 45 years ago.

Such herds are now almost gone. In recent decades, roads, mining camps, and herdsmen with livestock have penetrated even remote parts of the vast plateau. Hunters have .eliminated or reduced the numbers pf wild "animals over huge tracts. A herd of Tibetan antelope, the horns of males piercing the sky like lances, is now a rare, sight. To determine the current status of this wildlife and develop conservation strategies, Wildlife Conservation International and the China Wildlife Conservation Association began a five-year cooperative project in early 1985.