China’s wild camel population has been gradually growing in recent years, increasing from around 600 in 2004 to about 700 currently. In 2002, the wild Bactrian camel was added to the list of critically endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The move prompted Chinese officials to roll out plans to restore the animal’s population over the next few years. They included building two national nature reserves, in the northwestern province of Gansu and…