File phots of Przewalski's Gazelle.

Editor's note: Przewalski's Gazelle, the world's most endangered ungulate animal which only found in China, are now seeing a sharp decline and facing a great threat against their lives due to degenerative habitat and human development. With only hundreds survived, it is now hard to find a single of them around Qinghai Lake, where they were once widespread. Experts said effective measures should be immediately taken to protect them otherwise they will soon disappear...

Przewalski's Gazelle is an endemic species of China. It was once widespread in Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Gansu and Qinghai provinces, but now only can be found in the vicinity of the Qinghai Lake, Qinghai Province. It is famous for nimble action and inward bend horn. With spare amount, it was listed into the most endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

There are many threats against lives of Przewalski Gazelle. The development of human does the biggest threat to their habitat, in particular construction of highway and railway as well as fencing of pastures. 

Furthermore, to avoid from grassland using dispute, the local government financially supports herdsmen to fence up private grassland, thus dividing the endless grassland into many pieces. It not only limits the sphere of Przewalski Gazele, but also cuts out their mutual-communication.

"In the circumstances, inbreeding is inevitable, which results in the happening of malformed cubs," said Ma Yuhai, head of the Public Security Bureau of Gangca County, Qinghai Province.

Ma said some newly-built highways and railways without animal passages also aggravate the worse. Many Przewalski's Gazelle were killed by vehicles in recent years.

"I found some cross-bred of Przewalski's Gazelle and Procapara picticaudate, and they look like neither," Ge Yuxiu, veteran photographer who has long been caring wild animals lived around the Qinghai Lake, said. "I am very worried about that as offspring produced by crossbred between different species will cause infertile and lead to species degeneration as a consequence."