A travel to Changthang , the northern region of tibate plateau, In search of the Shy ‘ Gowa’ now on its way to extinction.
Changthang lies on the Tectonic plates that divides Tibetan plateau and the Indian sub continent . About 200Kms upstream of leh, and at an altitude of 13,500 feet, the river basin widens and the steep-faced mountains give way to rolling hills. The wind blows hard in this open terrain and sand dunes nearby have a aura from the flying specs of sand.
There are a couple of ‘Gowa’ (Tibetan gazelle) in small isolated populations of these animals on the Indian side in Changthang. Since the annexation of Tibet by China in the mid 50’s and the grafting of industrial culture on a society living in these austere landscapes, the population of Gowa has diminished considerably.
The ‘Kiang’ (Tibetan wild ass) can also be found in good numbers on the lake basins and on the alpine steppe of Changthang. About 300 kilometers south-east of Leh is a village called Hanle,
Tibetan gazelle is now threatened with local extinction because of human activity in and around its habitat.
