China imports more reindeer from Netherlands to revive species

China has imported a herd of 33 more reindeer from the Netherlands to boost the number of the species in the country, authorities said Saturday.

The reindeer arrived in Beijing on Thursday and will be shipped to a breeding base in Aoluguya township in the city of Genhe in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region after a quarantine period, according to the city’s forestry bureau.

The bureau said the herd was the third batch of reindeer imported from the Netherlands to Genhe, raising the total number to 178.

In Aoluguya, ethnic Ewenki herders, known as “the last hunting tribe in China,” still use reindeer as an important means of transportation.

But the population of the species has dropped significantly in recent years due to inbreeding.

In 2017, China reached an agreement with the Netherlands on reindeer importation. The first batch of imported reindeer, which arrived in Genhe later that year, has adapted to the local environment and gave birth to five babies with the local reindeer last April, according to the city’s forestry bureau.

The bureau said it would work with universities and institutes to establish an animal hospital focusing on reindeer and accelerate the construction of China’s largest reindeer breeding center.