The Chang Tang is a remote, virtually unknown region of Tibet, a vast area of ice-capped peaks soaring over high-altitude steppe and endless windswept plains. Nomadic herders wander its southern reaches, but much of the Chang Tang is the domain of a unique community of spectacular animals. In 1988, world-renowned wildlife biologist George B. Schaller became the first Westerner permitted to enter the region. Here, in moving text and haunting photographs, is his record of his work so far in this untamed and extraordinary place. Over six years, Schaller keenly observed and photographed the Chang Tang's rare creatures - wild yaks, Tibetan gazelles, wolves, Tibetan antelopes, and others - many of which had never before seen a human being. His findings were sufficiently compelling to convince the Chinese government to set aside over 125,000 square miles of the region as a reserve, the second largest in the world.
From the introduction - `All too often conservation efforts are made in response to crises, after wildlife has been decimated and habitat destroyed...The Chang Tang provided a rare opportunity to study, protect, and manage an entire undamaged ecosystem'