BEIJING — The status of Tibetan antelopes in China has been downgraded from "endangered" to "near threatened" amid the country's active anti-poaching and biodiversity protection efforts, said the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The population of the species has grown from less than 70,000 during the 1980s-1990s to around 300,000 at present, the administration added.

The species, mostly found in Tibet autonomous region, Qinghai province and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, is under first-class state protection in China. It plays a key role in maintaining the ecological balance on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.