Nature reserve urges Land Rover to explain trespass

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The Lop Nur Wild Camel National Nature Reserve in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has urged Land Rover to explain its recent promotional activities inside the reserve.

Yuan Lei, director of the reserve’s administration, told Oriental Outlook that they learned from the Internet last Tuesday that 14 cars may have entered the reserve around November 10 for a promo shoot, then reported it to the Xinjiang Department of Environmental Protection, as well as launching their own investigation.

Land Rover's promo . /via Weibo

After three days' preliminary investigation, the administration sent a letter of inquiry to Land Rover on Friday to urge the British car company to give further explanation within 24 hours.

Before the deadline, Land Rover contacted the administration to discuss the matter and, in the next two days, sent all relevant information including the organizers, arrangement of activities and routes to the administration. Company executives will also talk to the administration staff face-to-face.

Xinjiang Department of Environmental Protection says illegal human activities are banned within the reserve on its website. /Oriental Outlook Photo

According to Yuan, Land Rover has definitely violated the rules prohibiting human activity within the reserve as part of protecting the wildlife including wild camels and the environment. He also said they were currently confirming whether the activities violated the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Nature Reserves. Any violation faces punishment including fines.

The Lop Nur Wild Camel National Nature Reserve. /Oriental Outlook Photo

Covering an area of 78,000 square kilometers, the Lop Nur Wild Camel National Nature Reserve is a state-level nature reserve that was first established in 1986. It is home to about 600 critically endangered wild camels, or Bactrians, accounting for 60 percent of the global number of wild camels.