Protecting endangered species is a requirement for maintaining biodiversity. Elk, Alligator, Tibetan antelope, giant panda, Crested Ibis were once on the verge of extinction. With our joint efforts, we have established a multi-level animal protection system and built thousands of nature reserves at all levels and types. , accounting for about 18% of the land area. As a result, more than 90% of terrestrial ecosystem types and 71% of nationally protected wild animals and plants have been effectively protected, blazing a path for biodiversity protection with Chinese characteristics.
Distribution map of priority areas for biodiversity conservation in China
After years of protection and breeding, these precious species have gradually recovered from being endangered or even almost extinct. The species have continued to grow and develop, and have achieved remarkable results, contributing to the advancement of global biodiversity. Sexual protection contributes Chinese wisdom.
1. Elk, from extinction to restoration in the wild
Elk is native to the swamp areas of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Because its head is like a horse, its antlers are like a deer, its tail is like a donkey, and its hooves are like a cow, it is also called " four unlike ". They have poor ability to escape predators and are easily hunted. They usually feed on grasses and leguminous plants, and their survival is vulnerable to threats. More than 100 years ago, wild elk were almost extinct in China. Today's elk are all descendants of the population raised in Nanyuan, Beijing.
As early as 1894, due to the flooding of the Yongding River , it broke through the Nanyuan wall. Some elk escaped from it and were used as food by the hungry local people. After the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded Beijing, they killed many elk and transported a small part to Europe. Later, the 11th Duke of Bedford of England spent a lot of money to collect 18 elk from France and kept them in captivity in his manor. They were the only small elk population in the world at that time.
In 1985, the 14th Duke of Bedford of the United Kingdom responded to the call of zoologists and allowed the elk to return to their homeland. 22 elk arrived in Beijing by plane and were sent to Nanhaizi Park. This species, which has been almost extinct in China for more than 80 years, has been reborn.
Duke Befort (second from left)
In order to protect elk, elk nature reserves have been established in Dongting Lake in Hunan and Tianezhou in Shishou, Hubei. There is also a elk range in Yuanyang County, Henan. Today, many elk have successfully given birth and survived in the wild for three consecutive years in nature reserves in Hunan, Hubei, Suzhou and Henan, forming a wild population. At present, my country has established 84 ex-situ protected elk populations, with a total of nearly 10,000 individuals. Introducing new species to expand herds, restoring wetlands, domesticating and breeding, and reintroducing them into the wild have allowed elk to gradually return to their wild behavior.
2. Alligator, from endangered to resurgent
Alligator once spread all over the Yangtze River and Huaihe basins in my country, with a history of 150 million years. However, in the past, firstly, the shoals where the burrows were built were mostly reclaimed as farmland, and droughts and floods were frequent, which caused varying degrees of damage to the alligator's habitat; secondly, the alligator was hunted in large numbers, the burrows were destroyed, and eggs were broken or destroyed. Third, the application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has reduced the number of aquatic animals eaten by alligators, which has put pressure on the alligator's survival. By 1999, the number had dropped sharply to 150.
my country has carried out an inventory of alligator resources to find out the distribution characteristics and population size, set up protection sites, and have professionals conduct daily management of the habitat environment and contain and treat wild alligators. Strictly crack down on criminal activities such as poaching, buying and selling alligators. An alligator pedigree breeding tank has also been built to screen genetics to cultivate superior varieties, prevent inbreeding and population degradation, and reserve and provide high-quality sources for release into the wild. Thanks to these measures, the numbers have continued to increase. Currently, the number of alligators raised in captivity in China has exceeded 15,000.
3. Tibetan antelope, from "threatened" to "off hat"
Tibetan antelope is loved by many people because of its soft fur, which can be made into shawls. While it brings high profits to manufacturers, it also brings fatal disasters to Tibetan antelopes.
By the end of the 20th century, there were only 60,000 to 70,000 Tibetan antelopes left, and they were listed as "endangered" in 2000. China strictly prohibits all commercial exports of Tibetan antelopes and their products.Nature reserves such as the Altun Mountains, Qiangtang Mountains, Hoh Xil, and Sanjiangyuan were successively established, and specialized management teams were established to effectively curb the poaching of Tibetan antelopes. At present, the number of Tibetan antelopes has exceeded 200,000, and they have no longer been labeled as "threatened".
4. The giant panda has been downgraded from "endangered" to "vulnerable"
In the 20th century, due to excessive human logging, the giant panda's own feeding habits, reproductive capacity and child-rearing behavior, coupled with habitat fragmentation, the wild population of giant pandas is facing Due to major crises, their numbers are decreasing. In 1990, giant pandas were listed as "endangered".
Since my country established the Giant Panda Nature Reserve in 1963, wild giant pandas are distributed in the six mountain systems of Qinling, Minshan, Qionglai Mountain, Daxiangling, Xiaoxiangling and Liangshan. In 1989, the "Wildlife Protection Law of the People's Republic of China" listed the giant panda as a "first-level protected animal". We will insist on year-round patrols and inspections, rescue sick and starving giant pandas, and stop and punish crimes that endanger giant pandas.
In recent years, we have implemented habitat restoration, and have carried out extensive research and monitoring work on giant pandas’ staple food, bamboo, giant panda disease surveys, giant panda population distribution and habitat ecology. Through multiple measures, the wild population of giant pandas has grown steadily, reaching 1,864. The threat level was reduced from "endangered" to "vulnerable".
China’s protection of giant pandas and their habitats not only protects giant pandas, but also protects more than 10,000 species of plants and 1,000 species of vertebrates, achieving multiple benefits with one effort.
5. Crested Ibis, from 7 to 5,000
Affected by war, the natural environment, hunting, and human production and life, the habitat area of the crested ibis, a unique bird in East Asia, has continued to shrink, and its population has dropped sharply. It was once thought that the wild crested ibis was extinct.
However, in 1981, scientific researchers discovered 7 crested ibises in Yang County, Shaanxi, at the southern foot of the Qinling Mountains in my country, and the initial protection began. Staff members guard every egg and chick, hang anti-snake covers on the tree trunks where the crested ibises nest, and put up protective nets under the trees. However, the number of crested ibises is growing slowly.
In 1990, scientific researchers began research on artificial breeding of crested ibises, and successively overcame difficulties such as artificial hatching and brooding. After technical breakthroughs were made, restoration work began on the crested ibis habitat, including promoting organic planting methods that do not apply chemical fertilizers or pesticides, providing a good foraging environment for the crested ibises and increasing farmers' income. Repair and compensate damaged farmland, and reward villagers who protect crested ibis nests and care for young birds. At present, there are more than 5,000 crested ibises in my country, accounting for 70% of the world's population!
Our country has always been the defender, builder and contributor of the harmonious and beautiful homeland of all things, promoting the realization of the beautiful vision of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. National first-level protected animals There are still 85 species of wild creatures waiting for our protection. What we can do is that the whole society joins hands to let the populations of these wild creatures continue to grow and develop.
