Two goitered gazelles step into the snow-covered fields of Gael Mountain, located in the north Karamay, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, a heaven for foraging in winter. [Photo/kelamayi.com.cn]

Yarkland gazelles, a subspecies of goitered gazelle found in northern and northwestern China, were spotted frolicking in their winter breeding grounds around Karamay recently.

The graceful creature was photographed amid a backdrop of snow-covered scrubland, at Gael Mountain and Dushanzi Mountain.

The region is home to a spectacular array of wildlife, including Xingjiang wild horses, argali, vultures and the extremely endangered lli pika, known in China as the “Magic Rabbit” and recently photographed for the first time in 20 years.

The name goitered gazelle means “full below the throat”, which refers to the male having an enlargement of the neck and throat during the mating season. It inhabits the sand and gravel plains of the Gobi Desert and can usually be found across Central Asia.

Edited by Jacob Hooson