Przewalski's horses graze at the acclimatisation enclosure in the early morning hours at the Takhin Tal National Park, part of the Great Gobi B Strictly Protected Area, in south-west Mongolia, June 23, 2017. [Photo/VCG] Fifteen Przewalski's horses, the world's only surviving subspecies of wild horse, were released into a nature reserve in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Sept 27, as part of efforts to protect the rare subspecies from extinction. The group includes six stallions and nine mares, and for the first time researchers released five horses over 20 years old, equivalent to a person aged 70 to 80, according to Zhang Hefan, chief engineer of the Wild Horse Breeding Center based in Xinjiang. In the past, we selected only among the young and strong horses, usually between 0 and 13 years old, because old animals were more likely to die in the wild, she said. But the center's researchers believed that it is time to try again, since a stable natural population has formed in the wild thanks to years of preservation efforts. We have 221 horses in the wild now, accounting for half the population of the center. We believe the environment has become more supportive to help the old ones survive, she said. Protection of Przewalski's horses dates back to the 1980s. The wild horse is believed to be even rarer than the giant panda, since its current population worldwide is estimated at about 2,000. Native to China, the animal was on the Red List of Threatened Species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature from the 1960s to 1996. Then it was reassessed as critically endangered due to successful reintroductions. China imported 18 wild horses in 1985 from a number of countries and built a wild horse breeding center for their preservation. The center now has 411 wild horses. Since 2001, the center has started to release wild horses into the Kalamaili Nature Reserve in Xinjiang, which spans more than 1.7 million hectares. The horses are first put into a 200-hectare enclosure so they can adapt before beginning to live in the wilderness. Living in natural habitats will help enlarge the gene pool and improve its ability to survive, Zhang said. rubber band wristband makerpersonalized heart braceletsilicone wristbandscustom made bracelets for hercool rubber bracelets
President Xi Jinping, also chairman of the Central Military Commission, takes a group photo with representatives from model units and model personnel before a Central Military Commission meeting in Beijing on Friday. LI GANG / XINHUA Preparedness vital in era of drastic changes, unpredictable risks, president says President Xi Jinping, also chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Friday ordered the armed forces to continue strengthening their combat preparedness and to make sure they are always ready for battle. Addressing a Central Military Commission meeting in Beijing, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said the world is in an era of drastic changes and China is still in a strategically significant period vital to the country's development. He noted that various predicable and unpredictable risks and challenges have been arising. The president urged the military to be fully aware of the nation's security and development trends, to strengthen troops' awareness of crisis, challenges and combat, and to make solid and comprehensive preparations for military operations. The People's Liberation Army and Armed Police Force must focus on improving their combat capability and whatever they do must be for the betterment of their combat readiness, Xi said. He requested that the military boost strategic and tactical planning so troops can effectively and rapidly respond to possible contingencies. He also told the military to improve its joint operation capability. New types of fighting forces should be the priority in the military's development and more realistic combat training must be held, according to Xi. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in late 2012, the armed forces have had many remarkable, innovative and historic achievements amid sophisticated situations at home and abroad as well as heavy military tasks, Xi said. Government departments at central and local levels should continue supporting the military and work together with the armed forces to make them stronger, he said. Also on Friday, Xi signed an order to open the annual training session of the armed forces. The order demands that troops hone their combat capability and that military units organize events on a regular basis to verify soldiers' ability. The armed forces must also strive to strengthen their readiness to respond to emergencies. Commanders must take the lead in studying the art of war and also must be the first to carry out training and exercises, according to the order. Exercises must be conducted based on real combat scenarios and should involve the simulation of complicated situations and the deployment of multiple weapons and equipment from different services, it stipulates.
