At the end of October 2026, a delegation of the Xinjiang Wild Camel Protection Association led by its chairman, Wang Xinyai, visited the Mount Kalamaili Nature Reserve in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The purpose of the trip was to learn about modern methods of protecting desert ecosystems and rare hoofed animals.
The reserve, with an area of about 14,7 thousand square kilometres, is located on the eastern edge of the Junggar Basin. It serves as an important ecological corridor between the Tien Shan and the Altai and as a barrier against the expansion of the Gurbantunggut Desert. Dozens of vertebrate species live here, including 14 species of animals under China's first category of state protection.
The guests inspected the management centre, where an integrated "sky-earth-air" monitoring system operates. Using satellite collars, infrared cameras and aerial patrols, staff track the movements of animals, the state of vegetation and possible threats around the clock. Such technologies make it possible to respond promptly to changes in the desert.
Particular attention was given to the Przewalski's horse monitoring station at the Baifangzi spring. A stable watering place and the surrounding environment have become key factors in the species' successful return to the wild. By the end of 2025, the reserve already had 392 free-living Przewalski's horses capable of reproducing on their own.
In the museum and the immersive cinema, the delegation traced the history of the formation of the desert ecosystem and current plans for its conservation. The participants noted that combining scientific monitoring with educational work yields tangible results in restoring populations.
The well-known artist and association expert Chen Ao, who is now over eighty years old, donated to the reserve his works devoted to Gobi animals. The paintings became a symbol of the union of science, culture and public initiative in the cause of nature conservation.
The visit showed how important it is to unite the efforts of state bodies and public organisations. Joint projects make it possible not only to protect individual species but also to preserve the integrity of entire desert landscapes, on which the sustainability of the region depends.
