In high Tibet, patrol officers protect wildlife

"Our clothes got wet, and we found ourselves shivering in the freezing cold after the rescue," said the 34-year-old Tharchen.

Tibet has seen a steady increase in the number of rare species unique to the region in recent years. Benefiting from their efforts to protect biodiversity, the Tibetan antelope population has grown to more than 200,000 animals from fewer than 70,000 previously. The Tibetan wild ass population has risen to nearly 90,000 from the previous 50,000. And the number of black-necked cranes has grown to more than 8,000 from between 1,000 and 3,000.