Wenga, Danzhen Zhaxi and Duojie all work at the Budongquan (Never Freezing Spring) Station of the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve in Northwest China's Qinghai Province, and their greatest concern this June was to help over 20 pregnant Tibetan antelopes cross the construction site of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway to get to their breeding area.

Two Tibetan antelopes relax in the morning sun. [File photo]

The railway, which will pass through the 45,000-square-kilometre nature reserve, turned out to be a barrier for these migrating antelopes.

They stopped and did not cross the site, although the site's machines were shut down to make way for them.

The three Tibetan young men, together with some volunteers, tried to force the antelopes across. But their efforts were all in vain. Then they wondered if the colourful flags at the construction site had scared the antelopes.

This guess proved to be right. After the railway builders removed the flags, the antelopes finally passed across the construction site and headed toward their breeding area.

Tibetan antelopes, an endangered species at the top of China's protection list, are long-term residents of the grasslands in and around Qinghai, as well as the Xinjiang Uygur and Tibet autonomous regions.

Every June, female Tibetan antelopes migrate north in large numbers to give birth to their young in the heart of the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve. They then make the return trip south with the baby antelopes a couple of months later.

Zoologists say the thick-haired animals choose the northern region for breeding because they want a cool place with rich freshwater ponds and lush grass.

To ensure antelopes and other species can pass over the railway safely, the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve worked with the railway construction authority to build four animal tunnels.

Despite a tight schedule, the railway builders were ordered to stop working during the animals' migrating season.

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