preface
In June 2006, I took part in a volunteer activity to protect Tibetan antelope in Hoh Xil. Two months later, when I returned to Golmud for recuperation, I met Han Shengyi, an electrician working in The “Ma Long Automobile repair factory”. When he heard that I was a volunteer, Han Shengyi was surprised. “Last year, I also went to Hoh Xil, but I was stealing Tibetan antelopes. I wanted to earn some money and go back to my hometown to get a wife, but unfortunately, I didn’t bring back a skin. I almost died there.” Under the strength of his liquor, he told me about his experience last year. The following is the whole process that Han Shengyi tells.
1
In August 2004, while repairing a jeep, I met kong Wuhai, the owner. Kong Wuhai is not like other drivers, say a few days later to take the car to leave, but like a supervisor like to come to the factory every day to see me repair the car.
During the chat, I found that both of us lived in Gaomiaozhen and my uncle was his uncle and cousin, which made our relationship much closer. At noon, he took me to eat outside, accidentally said that the car was a few days ago in Hoh Xil by the wild yak to be damaged.
I asked him, what was he doing there?
Kong Wuhai unconsciously looked back and said when no one was looking, “They are all villagers. To tell you the truth, they have gone to shoot the Tibetan antelope. Three or four days is as much as you earn in a year.”
I asked him, “Is the Tibetan antelope easy to shoot?”
Kong Wuhai heard the meaning of my words and asked me rhetorically, “Do you want to go?”
“Want to ah. My family’s economic condition is not good. If you go again, you can call me up, so that I can get a wife.”
“Yes. But the season is over this year. When the Tibetan antelopes migrate from Sanjiangyuan, Aljinshan and Qiangtang to the Sun Lake area to give birth in June and July next year, we will bypass the protection station and ambush the passing sheep in the empty valley. We will kill them and leave without being noticed.”
Since The death of Sonandajie, the state has established Tibetan antelope protection stations in Chuma River, Non-freezing Spring, Wudaoliang and Erdaogou, and is gradually turning Hoh Xil into a completely closed nature reserve.
“He continued,” I have been to Golmud for more than ten years, and I have been to Kekexili dozens of times. Everyone knows my name, Lao Kong.
“If you really want to go with me, you’ll have to be on your guard. You’ll need a jeep, a small-bore rifle, and at least a thousand rounds of ammunition. If you can’t get it, I’ll get you guns and bullets, but you’ll have to get your own car. If you can’t get a good car, you’ll have no legs and no legs to run to.”
I said, “No problem with the car. I’m the mechanic. Can’t I get a jeep?”
2
Then one day in May 2005, he came to see me at the garage.
I said on purpose, “A few days ago, Director Bai of the Geological monitoring Institute came to repair the jeep of his unit. He said that he had flipped the jeep twice on the top of the 109 unit, which was not auspicious and he wanted to sell it. What you said last year, will you go again this year?”
Kong Wuhai said, “I’m here today to talk about this matter. I have prepared a gun and bullets for you. I will give you 1,000 rounds with one bullet and 300 yuan for three days.
“Two more for you, fifty-one and the younger, and you’ll work yourself to death in no man’s land. The two people do not know each other, hit each walk, even if the public security caught do not know each other’s identity. After this trip, you’ll have to pay the driver $2,000, the skinning man $3,000, and the rest is yours.”
In the early hours of July 28, I drove up to the statue in Golmud station square. Seeing two young men in sun hats smoking, he asked loudly, is it fifty-one? The man said yes, I said get in the car.
By daybreak, we were more than 200 kilometers out of the city. At a stop at a bridge, I asked the young man, what did you do before?
He swallowed a piece of cake. “I’ve been driving a taxi in Xining for 10 years. I play with cars.”
51, without waiting for my question, said, “I used to be in Tianjun County, going to Xining to sell sheep. I also used to be a soldier, pickling skin and shooting guns.”
I said, “The little one is responsible for driving. I’ll rest with Fifty-one first.”
I made an appointment with Kong Wuhai yesterday. He will meet me 500 kilometers ahead. After another three hours on route 109, I saw a jeep in the distance and asked the younger man to pull up to me.
Kong Wuhai carrying a small calibre rifle came up to me, “a gun four boxes of bullets, a total of 1000 rounds. Let us now begin to enter Hoh Xil, you must follow me closely, when we reach the River Dawu, we will separate, each hunting his own. Remember, you mustn’t stay too long in this part of the country.”
I think he is a little nervous, say rest assured, after this round, back to Gaomiaozhen I invite you to whore.
3
After five o ‘clock in the afternoon, we arrived at the Dawu River.
Kong Wuhai stood in front of the car and said to me: “Once again, it can’t be more than three days, we must go out of Hoh Xili, back to Golmud, or the police will follow the ruts to find, their eyes very sharp.
“Look,” Kong Wuhai pointed to the front, “go around this mountain and walk a few more kilometers to the Sun Lake. The Tibetan antelope is the most active in that area. 51 and small ones have been here before.
After breaking up with Kong Wuhai, has come to the evening. The prairie was quiet, and the sun did not set. It did not move in the western sky. I even had hallucinations, as if I could hear the sun crackling and burning.
I was suddenly afraid. I didn’t know what it was. I quickly lowered my head and closed my eyes. When I calmed down, I could clearly feel the headache. The altitude here was close to 5,000 meters.
On the grassland, the small one was driving very slowly. I was about to say that I should drive faster when I suddenly heard him Shouting like playing chicken blood, “Look, Tibetan antelope!”
I looked out of the window, sure enough, there was a group of Tibetan antelope, “Chase!”
I took my gun out and hung it against the window. The jeep bumped violently and we banged our heads against the roof, ignoring the pain, staring at the Tibetan antelope, which was faster than the jeep.
I fired a shot, whizzing, the bullet hit the grass, then fired a second shot, hit a stone, a small puff of white smoke, the Tibetan antelope was frightened, run faster. When I fired again, a gazelle swooped down in its gallop.
51 in the side kept Shouting “hit hit hit”, I did not pay attention to him, continue to aim to shoot, a small antelope was also hit down, and then, and hit an adult Tibetan antelope.
I don’t remember how many shots I fired that evening. Before I knew it was dark, I chased after a horizontal river. Then I stopped my jeep and watched these Tibetan antelopes wading away through the headlights.
It was now nine or ten o ‘clock in the evening, and the three of us went backwards to pick up the Tibetan antelope we had just killed.
When he came to the last one, he saw through the headlights that the Tibetan antelope was not dead yet. His round eyes were full of half tears and he was shocked. “Mom, it’s still crying. Then he turned his head, stopped looking at the sheep, and went straight into the knife.
Fifty-one morning said that killing sheep flaying is his specialty, which was introduced by Kong Wuhai, at this time the skill also verified his own statement. He cut off the head of the sheep and the four hoofs, only the skin of the Tibetan antelope, bloody scene.
In the early morning, we just finished stripping 7 Tibetan antelopes, afraid of missing again along the route, this just safely got into the car.
4
After a few hours of hunting, peeling, and eating a pot helmet (a pasta dish), we were all exhausted and lay down in the jeep to rest.
I had heard in the repair shop that Hoh Xil was permafrost, and even in July the highest daytime temperatures were only three or four degrees. That night, I had only the thin clothes I was wearing, and I was so cold in the car that I felt like a bug with a hook biting into my heart.
Cold wake up after really too tired, blink of an eye and fall asleep again, be cold wake up again, add a burst of headache, I simply open an eye, beat a head with the hand, turn round to ask them, “headache?”
They were both silent and motionless. I was startled and thought I was frozen to death, so I got up to shake them. The little one stirred, and after a long while said gravely, “A headache, like someone has drilled a hole in his head.” 51 also complained, “why this time to no man’s land response so heavy, also forgot to bring a coat.”
People are really interesting, as long as there is the idea of money, there is resistance. People are really interesting, as long as there is the idea of money, there is resistance.
I saw them start talking and settle down. I felt sore all over, felt my hot forehead, and said to them, “I sweated a little after chasing the Tibetan antelope this afternoon. At night, when I peeled the Tibetan antelope, I was blown by the cold wind and caught a cold.”
As soon as He heard that I had caught a cold, he sat up and said, “In no man’s land, a cold kills people. I have a box of quick-acting cold capsules. Take eight capsules the first time.
I took the medicine box, took out ten pills, threw them into my mouth, and swallowed them. Then he handed me a bottle of water. I drank a little. The water was so cold that I shivered and swallowed until it was warm.
When they saw that I had taken the medicine, they lay down again and went to sleep, but I could not sleep at all. I began to shake and shake uncontrollably. The shaking got worse and worse, and I woke them up.
When they heard that, they took off every cushion they could from the seat of the car and pushed it on me. Not until the sun slowly rises and the temperature warms up.
I will try my best to fight for two more days, take more Tibetan antelopes with me and return to Golmud. I will get a lot of money in my hand. People are really interesting, as long as there is the idea of money, there is resistance, think of here, I feel much better physical strength.
5
It was very cold sitting in the car. When I saw the sun coming out, I got out to warm myself. “Let’s hide the jeep in a recess in the mountains, out of sight of the herders, in case they call the police.”
We drove dozens of kilometres and stopped at the foot of a turning hill. While I lay on the grass in the sun, they climbed to the top of a nearby hill and looked around.
At four o ‘clock in the afternoon, as they rolled down from the top of the mountain, 51 panted, “A herd of Tibetan antelopes is running towards us along the river at the foot of the ridge. Shall we fight or not?”
“Play!” “I said without thinking.
The three of us got into the car and drove off towards the foot of the hill ahead. I was aching all over with cold, so I didn’t let the little guy chase the sheep like he did last night. Instead, after driving some distance, I got out and ambushed him.
I got down on my hands and feet, pointed at one of the larger sheep in the group, and fired the first shot, and the big sheep fell, and the surrounding sheep surrounded me, and I fired a second shot, and one of the surrounding sheep fell, and the sheep began to look up in the distance, and I immediately fired a third shot, and another sheep fell. At last the sheep understood, and the ones who led the way began to trot forward. All at once the flock was in a great confusion, and they all began to run wildly.
I really have a headache, handed the gun to 51, said: “you two drive to fight.”
I rested on a higher ledge, just in time to watch them as they drove off in a jeep, stopped a herd of Tibetan antelopes at a narrow pass, and fired away. It was strange. From so far away, I could smell the smell of gunpowder and blood, mixed with the smell of grass. It was strange.
They drove up to me on the grass ahead, shoving the sheared sheepskin into snakeskin bags. The plan was to go home with another batch tomorrow and get into the car and go to sleep.
By early morning, I had a high fever and probably talked in my sleep. Fifty-one woke me up. I said no, I felt like dying. If I die you two are not clear, even Kong Wuhai will think that this is the distribution of spoils not equal to murder, in the future you zha mix, let’s hurry back.
So we decided to drive away overnight and try to get on route 109 in the morning.
At dawn they found that they had been driving the night before towards the Altun, in the opposite direction from Golmud. We stopped the car, and so they finally determine the direction, before turning toward the Tuotuo River direction to open. On the way to cross a river, I saw a group of Tibetan antelopes running from west to east.
“Said 51.” Stop the car and hit it again!” “Are you all right, Old Han?” the younger one asked me. “I’ve already lost a few hours. I don’t know what to say.
The sky was so clear that you could see dozens of miles at a glance. I sat in the car watching them, fifty-one marksmanship is very good, a Tibetan antelope in the running fall. The dust of the trampled grassland drifted away after the sheep ran for a while.
They collected their guns, went to the dead Tibetan antelope and skinned it. A few hours later, when they had stuffed ten sheepskins into the jeep, my first thought was to take the gun from 51 and plead, “Save your life, brother. I have a headache and I can’t take it anymore. I need to get out of Here and double my wages when I get to Golmud.”
Small answer words, “delayed two hours, dozen more ten, is also to let you earn more, we take pay also feel at ease.”
I said, “I know you are good for me, but you can’t finish shooting the Tibetan antelope in Hoh Xil. We have to leave here as soon as possible.”
6
We jumped in the car again and walked on for another hour when the jeep stalled. The little guy opened the front engine cover and said the engine was broken.
I was a little bit surprised. I put the small-bore gun on my shoulder and barely managed to get out of the car. I climb in the front of the drum along while, looking at the engine has been pulled cylinder, “Zha destroyed at a draught?”
51 a little angry, “know to be kekexili, also get a ball broken car, this is good, harm has already, walk, only a dead end.”
All three of us deflated and sat on the ground looking out into the distance. Finally I said, “It’s after 3 o ‘clock, or we can walk to the 109 and get stuck in traffic, or we’ll freeze to death here tonight.”
The little one said, “Let’s each carry five chamois skins between us. It’s money.”
“The sheepskin on the back is too conspicuous. Bury the sheepskin in the ditch in front of you and make a mark. We will buy a jeep to come here in a few days and take it away.” I shook the gun in my hand as I said this, and watched what they were doing, thinking that if anything should happen, they would join forces and shoot me and throw me on a deserted beach and the ghost would never know.
They were a little reluctant, and I said, “Let’s go out, boys, and I’ll double your wages, no less.”
There was a long silence, and then they said hesitantly, “Come on.”
We piled the antelope’s hide in the middle of a pile of stones, and we made marks. Fifty-one came up to help me, and accidentally touched the gun on my back. 51 a little puzzling, “did not do what ah, holding you can hurry on, you do not let me do not help.” I was relieved.
As we stumbled across the prairie, the sun gradually turned from blue to white. The little fellow saw a tent in the distance, a light puff of smoke, and shouted out that there was a tent ahead!
I have heard many times before that the distance in no man’s land is not easy to estimate, but now I feel reasonable. In the initial estimation, the distance of half an hour is actually 4 hours.
When we reached the herders’ tent, an old man stared at us and I said, “You give us food and tea, then ride us to highway 109. I will give you this gun and all the bullets.”
Tibetan herdsmen have always admired horses, knives and guns, but in recent years the government has banned guns and hunting, so few herdsmen have been able to buy guns. In order to gain his confidence, I handed over the gun and the bullet at once. The shepherd took the gun, let his wife take out butter zanba and hand mutton, also boil a large pot of milk tea, the three of us eat enough to drink is early in the morning.
Worried about the long night of dreaming, I said to the shepherd, who was already lying in his fur coat, Shall we ride now?
And the shepherds said, It is cold; can ye bear with little clothing? I said it didn’t matter. We were in a hurry. Then he got up and brought four horses from outside the tent, with his spear on his back leading the way, and we rode after him. It was goddamn bad luck, I thought to myself, to be upset by the messy noise of hooves clattering against cold gravel.
In the quiet grassland, walking from early morning to afternoon, I finally saw the distance of Highway 109.
I jumped off my horse and said to the two of them, “This is not a good trip. I threw away the $6,000 car without a sheepskin. I owe you both your wages, and I almost lost my life here.” I told them on purpose not to ask for my pay, but neither of them said anything.
We were standing in 109 and stuck in traffic, and a police car was coming in the distance. Two Tibetan policemen flashed their identification cards at us. “Are you from Hoh Xil?”
I forced myself to lie calmly. “We are migrant workers from Minhe County, who build houses for herders. Now we are going back to Golmud.”
One of them came up to me, patted me on the back, as if to check what I was hiding, and said, “You don’t see anyone poaching Tibetan antelope, do you? It is the duty of every citizen to report immediately if seen.”
After the police left, we went back to Golmud.
Afterword.
That day, Han shengyi stayed up until 10 p.m. When I got back to my apartment, Thinking about the poaching case, I took notes. Soon after, I ended my volunteer tenure and left Hoh Xil to return to Henan.
In May 2017, I came across the Law Channel, which was broadcasting a case of illegal hunting of Tibetan antelopes on July 31 at the Intermediate People’s Court of Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. It was then that I learned that Han Shengyi had become a prisoner.
It turned out that the Yushu public security bureau had been cracking down on poaching. In 2012, it first caught kong Wuhai, the principal offender in another case of poaching Tibetan antelope. He took the initiative to tell Han Shengyi about it for meritorious service. Then, in a village in Naoshan, Ledu County, the police arrested Han Shengyi, who had married a wife and had children and lived peacefully for 11 years.
According to the Wildlife Protection Law, the killing of three Tibetan antelopes is considered a major crime, and the three of them killed a total of 26. The court sentenced Han shengyi to 10 years in prison, 51 years and five years less.
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