China imports reindeer from Netherlands to revive species

China has imported a herd of 115 reindeer from the Netherlands as part of an effort to boost the number of the species in the country, authorities said Tuesday.

China has imported a herd of 115 reindeer from the Netherlands. [Photo: Xinhua]

The reindeer have arrived in Genhe in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and are undergoing a 45-day quarantine period, according to regional quarantine and inspection authorities.

After that, they will be shipped to Aoluguya, where ethnic Ewenki herders known as "the last hunting tribe in China" still use reindeer as an important means of transportation.

In recent years, the number of reindeer in the village has dropped to about 800 due to inbreeding.

In January last year, China reached an agreement with the Netherlands on reindeer importation. Two months later, the first herd of 30 reindeer arrived in China.