Humps of the Wild

by+Duan+Wei

One of the largest deserts in China， the Kumtag is found adjacent to the Lop Nur area in Tarim Basin of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The vast desert appears fascinating but can easily cause panic， particularly in winter， when the similar landforms make it easy to get lost.

However， atop such deserted land， a research group consisting of experts， guides and volunteers is searching for the wild Bactrian camel （Camelus ferus）， a critical endangered species – without immediate protection， the species will quickly become extinct.

“Im afraid its going to snow，” lamented Duan， leader of the group， after gazing at the sky. He asked his team to load equipment and supplies into a car while he circled his old SUV to check it. Upon hearing Duans worry about the weather， the group started moving frantically.

To Save Wild Camels

In September 2012， the Administrative Bureau of the Lop Nur National Reserve for Wild Camels started building a protection station at the eastern edge of Kumtag Desert on the border between Xinjiang and Gansu Province， an important passage to Kumtag Desert where the staff can easily witness the massive influence exerted by outsiders. Duan Hailin， nicknamed “l(fā)iving map of the desert，” was selected as direc-tor of the protection center. Lack of both money and help， Duan eventually located some like-minded people to assist him in setting up the center. “There are still only four of us，” he sighs. “We need at least another four. Fund is another big problem. Were holding on thanks to mutual trust and attachment to the wild camels. But we need a long-term solution.”

In the 1990s， biologists determined that domesticated camels genes contrast those of wild camels. Evolved from the same ancestors in North America， some camels crossed Bering Strait and reached Asia. In order to survive the extreme cold， they developed humps that enable them to survive prolonged absence of calories and walk for days without drinking water.

“After over a million years of evolution， the camels evolved into the double-hump creatures with which we are familiar today，” explains Li Diqiang， a senior expert of Research Group of Reserve and Biological Diversity at the Chinese Academy of Forestry. “Recent research has shown that domesticated double-hump camels are a different species from the wild Bactrian camel， due to their sharply contrasting living conditions. In addition to different physical appearances， their instincts and most importantly their DNA are all different.”

According to the distribution of discovered wild camel bones and historical records， in ancient times， the wild Bactrian camel grazed largely on hills and plains through the entire region of central Asia. Centuries ago， its population numbered at least tens of thousands. However， due to hunting and agriculture， only 3，000 of the species were left in China by the end of the 1970s. “Today， only 800 wild camels roam China and 400 of them have been identified by analysis of their dung，” notes Li.

Although wolves and other predators are enemies of wild camels， human activity compresses the living space of wild camels， which has resulted in the acute drop of the species. Despite its defining lack of fresh water， the desert is abundant in ore， gold， potassium， salt ore and oil， which are attractive to human beings.

Li Diqiang also noted the great influence of fences on wild camels： Traditional herders roam from place to place in search of water and grass. Near their living areas lives the goitered gazelle. And then in the peripheral of the gazelles areas live wild camels – it is typical coexistence between herders and wild animals. “But with the development of agriculture， the pasture gets divided into small tracts of land， which seriously constricts movement of wild animals，” Li explains.“Herders must settle down and the wild animals cannot migrate any longer.”

“Our research aims to study the migration instincts of wild camels and collect gene samples to create a database for the future study of wild camel migration passage，” Li continues.

Value of Wild Camels

Facing challenging living conditions， wild camels follow their own instinctual rules for survival： Unlike goats that eat all of the grass， wild camels only eat the upper leaves of bushes， so their food source is more easily renewed.

“Human beings should learn from wild camels，” remarks Doctor Liu Fang， a member of the Research Group of Reserve and Biological Diversity at the Chinese Academy of Forestry. “Like other endangered species， wild camels maintain their own values. If there are no animals on a desert， the desert is dead. A key indicator of the health of a region， if the wild camel recovers， it proves that the local environment has improved，” illustrates Liu. “Wild camels can survive with little food as well as bitter and salty water. Uncovering the secrets of their strong vitality can inspire human medical research.”

“Desert animals can survive in extreme living conditions，” she adds. “As researchers， we record their footprints. We really seek to satisfy our own thirst for knowledge. The great goal of science is ultimately to benefit human beings. As equal species sharing the earth， wild camels have their own right to life. The planet has already lost many species. It is really a shame.”