Beautiful China, ecological details in major projects ②

Original title: Reserve enough migration channels for wild animals and assist Tibetan antelopes in breeding and migration (introduction)

Ecological protection on the Qinghai Tibet line (theme)

People's Daily reporter Jia Fengfeng

Core reading

The Qinghai Tibet Highway and the Qinghai Tibet Railway, while contributing to the high-quality economic and social development of the plateau, are also actively exploring the protection of biodiversity.

In order to ensure the smooth propagation and migration of Tibetan antelopes, the Qinghai Tibet Railway has set up 33 migration channels, the Qinghai Tibet Highway has taken temporary traffic control measures for the migration of Tibetan antelopes, and the protection stations along the Qinghai Tibet Railway have assisted in the propagation and migration of Tibetan antelopes... On the Qinghai Tibet Railway, the successful migration of Tibetan antelopes shows a vivid picture of the harmonious coexistence of human and nature.

At present, it is the peak of Tibetan antelope migration.

From May each year, Tibetan antelopes that live in Sanjiangyuan, Qinghai, Qiangtang, Tibet, and Altun Mountains in Xinjiang will successively go to Zhuonai Lake, Sun Lake, and Hoh Xil Lake in the hinterland of Hoh Xil to give birth. They will begin to breed on the plateau with an average altitude of more than 4800 meters. After the breeding season, they will return to their original habitat with their young.

The Qinghai Tibet Highway and Qinghai Tibet Railway, which meander deep in the plateau, help the plateau's high-quality economic and social development, while leaving sufficient migration channels for Tibetan antelopes to protect biodiversity.

On the Qinghai Tibet line, the Tibetan antelope flocks that migrate smoothly show a vivid picture of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

Qinghai Tibet Railway——

33 special passages for wildlife migration are set up, and the whistle is strictly prohibited when the train passes through the special passages

On June 11, in the early morning light, the Z265 train from Xining, Qinghai Province to Lhasa, Tibet was driving in the vast Hoh Xil, reflecting the pink and golden dawn.

"Look! Tibetan antelope!"

With a cry of surprise, people in the carriage came close to the window, took out their mobile phones and filmed the Tibetan antelope in the distance.

In the cab, Li Yuqi, the locomotive driver, hurriedly stretched out his hands and gestured to his apprentice who was working to keep quiet.

"If you whistle at will, it will certainly frighten Tibetan antelopes and interfere with their normal migration." Li Yuqi, 57, has been running on the Golmud Lhasa section of the Qinghai Tibet Railway (hereinafter referred to as the "Golmud Lhasa section") for more than 30 years, and has become half a wildlife expert. "I have seen more than 30 migrations of Tibetan antelopes, and these guys are very smart!"

As the highest and longest plateau railway in the world, the Qinghai Tibet Railway passes through the Yangtze River, Nujiang River, Yarlung Zangbo River and other water systems. Along the railway, there are three national nature reserves, Hoh Xili, Sanjiangyuan, and Selin Cuo, as well as many types of vast natural wetlands. The ecological environment is primitive, unique, and fragile. The migration route of Tibetan antelope also coincides with the Qinghai Tibet Railway.

In order to protect the plateau ecological environment and biodiversity, at the beginning of construction, the Qinghai Tibet Railway invested 1.54 billion yuan for ecological protection along the line. Considering the migration of local wild animals, 33 special passages for migration of wild animals were also set up.

"It has become an 'iron rule' of the Qinghai Tibet Railway to try our best to reduce the impact on the local ecological environment and the disturbance to wildlife. Especially in the migration and farrowing period of Tibetan antelopes, when the train passes through the special passage for wildlife migration, the drivers will fulfill their 'agreement' with them and forbid whistling," said Li Yuqi.

With bright floors, clean beds and sufficient oxygen supply, Li Yuqi said: "All the passenger cars running in Golmud Lhasa Section adopt fully enclosed 25T passenger car bodies. The car bodies not only have oxygen generation and oxygen supply equipment, but also have a domestic waste collection system. After the domestic waste generated by passengers on the train is collected, it will be cleaned and transported by a cleaning car and a sewage suction car. At the same time, several sewage treatment equipment stations have been set up along the line to minimize the impact on the ecological environment. "

The monitoring data shows that the utilization rate of the special passage for wildlife migration along the Qinghai Tibet Railway has gradually increased from 56.6% in 2004 to 100% since 2011.

Qinghai Tibet Highway——

Take measures such as temporary traffic control, prohibition of whistling, patrol and rescue

Driving to Section 301 of National Highway 109 of Qinghai Tibet Highway, the reporter met a group of Tibetan antelopes ready to cross the highway.

More than 20 Tibetan antelopes crossed the Wubei Bridge of the Qinghai Tibet Railway and walked towards the Qinghai Tibet Highway. This group of Tibetan antelopes first formed a long line in twos and threes, and slowly moved forward. Suddenly, the sheep began to speed up, either circuitously or directly from both sides.

More than ten minutes later, Tibetan antelope and sheep passed through the Qinghai Tibet Highway. During this period, under the command of the staff of Wudaoliang Protection Station, Kekexili Management Office, Jiangyuan Park Management Committee, the director of Sanjiangyuan National Park, all the traffic stopped far away, waited patiently, and only restarted after all the Tibetan antelopes had gone far across the road.

The whole process was very quiet.

"Recently, it is the peak period of Tibetan antelope migration. In addition to carrying out routine patrol, it is to 'escort' Tibetan antelope migration and return." Gama Yingpei, deputy head of Wudaoliang Protection Station, introduced.

"We will make overall arrangements with Wudaoliang Protection Station as the main force, and each grass-roots protection station will patrol continuously in the area under its jurisdiction. Once it is found that Tibetan antelopes need to cross the highway, temporary traffic control measures will be taken as soon as possible to minimize the interference to animal migration." Gama Yingpei said that Tibetan antelopes migrate about 10 days earlier this year than in previous years, and it is expected that they will move back in succession by the end of July and the beginning of August.

During the breeding and migration season of Tibetan antelopes, temporary traffic control, no whistling, patrol and rescue measures will be taken on the Qinghai Tibet Highway to ensure the safe passage of migrating Tibetan antelopes.

In addition, the staff of the management office will also comprehensively monitor the dynamic situation of Tibetan antelope during the birth period, and make statistics on migration time, migration quantity, etc.

"A few years ago, every time when Tibetan antelopes migrated, some passers-by would get off to take photos out of curiosity. This behavior would frighten the naturally alert Tibetan antelopes, and they would not even cross the Qinghai Tibet Highway all day. We went to dissuade these tourists, and sometimes there would be disputes." Gama Yingpei said that today, this situation is basically no longer the case.

Protection stations along the line——

Carry out daily patrol to help Tibetan antelope migrate smoothly

Boil a pot of water, put it into the feeding bottle, sterilize it, take it out and drain it, boil the milk, air it to warm and bottle it... After a series of procedures, the supervisor Caiwen Dorje called softly, and three Tibetan antelopes ran over.

This is the daily routine of Cai Wen Duojie, a staff member of Sonandajie Conservation Station, who is known as the "wet father" of Tibetan antelope. "Every year, there will be scattered Tibetan antelopes. If we meet them, we will bring them back, feed them for a few months, and then carry out wild training. When they can fully adapt, they will be released to nature." Speaking of Tibetan antelopes, Cai Wenduojie's tone is particularly gentle, "In the past two days, most of my colleagues went to Zhuonai Lake, known as the 'Tibetan Antelope Delivery Room', as well as Sun Lake, to guard the Tibetan antelopes who gave birth. The rest of my colleagues were responsible for the daily patrol to help the Tibetan antelopes cross the Qinghai Tibet line."

Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve is vast and mysterious. Along the Qinghai Tibet Railway, Bulengquan Conservation Station, Sonandajie Conservation Station, Tuotuo River Conservation Station, Wudaoliang Conservation Station and Kunan Conservation Station are arranged in order to guard the homes of wild animals. Every month, the staff of the five protection stations should carry out at least one large-scale mountain patrol, ranging from one week to more than ten days.

"Before entering the mountain, we should prepare steel plates, jacks, spare tires, pots and pans, quilts, etc.; after entering the mountain, the mobile phone sometimes has no signal, so everyone can listen to all the downloaded songs and say all the words they want to say." Cai Wenduojie told reporters that there were more than 50 people in the five protection stations, with an average age of less than 30 years old. Although the days here were dull, we saw Tibetan antelopes, wild yaks The Tibetan fox was running, "I can't describe that feeling with words."

In addition to the protection station, some herdsmen and ecological stewards spontaneously set up a Tibetan antelope protection association to follow the migrating Tibetan antelopes all the way across the Qinghai Tibet line.

"The staff of the protection station and the passing drivers and passengers did not know each other, but they reached a tacit understanding when they waited quietly for the Tibetan antelope to cross the Qinghai Tibet line." Opening the mobile phone photo album, Cai Wenduojie said that most of them were watching silently from afar, and the Tibetan antelope also crossed the road smoothly.

Previously, only five villages around the Charico Lake and along the 109 National Highway were covered by communication signals, while other areas in Hoh Xil were not covered by network. Last year, the 5G base station near Zhuonai Lake was put into operation. The protection station staff realized remote real-time monitoring of Tibetan antelopes through the combination of "5G remote video patrol+on-site duty".

Today, thanks to various efforts, the population of Tibetan antelopes in Hoh Xil has increased from less than 20000 in the 1990s to more than 70000.

Walking out of Sonandaj Protection Station, it was evening. The setting sun outlined the outline of the distant mountains, and Tibetan antelopes were running away.