LHASA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region has paid 960 million yuan (about 149 million U.S. dollars) to local residents for the losses caused by wildlife over the past 15 years, local authorities said.

The region started compensating farmers and herders for their losses caused by wild animals in 2006, according to the regional department of ecology and environment.

Benefiting from the measure, farmers and herders are more willing to be engaged in ecological protection and the number of wild animals has been growing, the department said.

Tibet has 11 national nature reserves, four national scenic spots, three national geological parks, nine national forest parks and 22 national wetland parks. Protected natural areas make up almost 40 percent of the region's land area.

Typical wild animal species in the region include wild yaks, Tibetan antelopes, and Tibetan wild asses. Enditem