On the windswept plateaus of the Pamirs, where oxygen grows thin at 4,000 meters above sea level, a unique scientific partnership is unfolding. Researchers from the Chinese mainland and Tajikistan recently completed a joint expedition tracking the elusive Marco Polo sheep – a species immortalized in 13th-century explorer accounts and now serving as a vital indicator of ecosystem health.
The collaboration between the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) and Tajik counterparts saw teams endure extreme conditions to document the sheep's migration patterns. 'Every observation matters,' explained Yang Weikang, a XIEG researcher. 'These animals help us understand climate impacts on high-altitude biodiversity.'
Their work holds significance beyond conservation biology. The Pamir region straddles critical trade corridors under China's Belt and Road Initiative, making ecological data vital for sustainable infrastructure planning. The research also demonstrates growing scientific cooperation between China and Central Asian neighbors.
Marco Polo sheep populations have shown gradual recovery since China established the Taxkorgan Nature Reserve in 1984, though cross-border poaching remains a challenge. The current joint monitoring effort, which uses GPS tracking and habitat mapping, aims to create unified protection strategies ahead of the 2025 UN Biodiversity Conference.
