High-Tech Sentries Guard Tibetan Antelope Migrations in China

In the early summer, drivers on a stretch of National Highway 109 in China's Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture often encounter a unique sight: herds of Tibetan antelopes crossing the busy road. In a display of harmony between nature and human activity, vehicles on the highway pull over and wait patiently, creating a temporary pause in traffic flow to allow the animals to pass safely.

More recently, a high-tech "mobile sentry" has joined this harmonious scene. Stationed by the roadside, it is remotely controlled by dedicated staff who adjust its height and angle, zoom in and out, and meticulously record the entire process of the antelopes crossing the road. This is part of an intelligent management platform for human-wildlife conflict mitigation, which utilizes traffic signals and data analysis to minimize the impact of antelope migration on highway traffic and avoid collisions.

Over the past three decades, the once-endangered Tibetan antelope population has increased thanks to a ban on illegal hunting and measures to improve their habitats. Every year from May to July, female antelopes travel hundreds of kilometers to give birth in the Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve, and many need to cross the iconic National Highway 109 to reach their destination. The new intelligent management platform is expected to help this lifeline for the antelopes operate more safely and smoothly when it is put into use in 2027.