Beijing, September 2 – The Tibetan antelope, one of the world’s endangered animals, is leading the giant panda in the race to be named as the official mascot for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The mascot for the Games will be announced on November 12th, and the Tibetan Antelope is recognised by many people as the best choice, an official at the Hol Xil Nature Reserve Administration in north-west China’s Qinghai Province said.
The 29th Olympic Games, slated for August 2008, have drawn attention, support and participation from all over the country. The announcement of the mascot has been delayed due to fierce competition among the candidates and the modification of the designs created for those animals, Xinhua news agency reported today.
Besides the Tibetan Antelope, the other major candidates are the giant panda, the Chinese tiger, the golden monkey and the red-crowned crane.
But the Tibetan Antelope is now leading the race, according to the latest Internet survey.
The Tibetan Antelope lives in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau at an altitude between 4,000 and 5,500 metres above sea level.
