National Forestry and Grassland Administration: Overall Stable Growth in China's Endangered Wild Species Populations
March 3rd is the seventh United Nations World Wildlife Day, and this year's global theme is 'Protecting All Life on Earth'. China's theme is 'Maintaining the Global Community of Life'.
According to a statement from the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, in recent years, through the systematic implementation of endangered species conservation projects, China's giant pandas, black bears, Asian elephants, Tibetan antelope, etc. have reversed the continuous decline; the Dehong Ironwood, Huaigaomu, Baishanzu Zulongbai, and other wild plants have stabilized and grown in numbers.
A relevant official from the State Forestry and Grassland Administration introduced that in recent years, China has strengthened the protection of wild animal habitats and the conservation and breeding of wild animals, severely cracked down on the illegal trade of wildlife and ivory products, established a sound legal system, and built a wild animal epidemic source and disease proactive warning and monitoring system, constantly strengthening the protection of endangered wild animals.
As of now, China's giant panda artificial breeding population has reached 600 individuals, effectively supporting the recovery and reproduction of wild populations; the wild giant panda population has risen from 1114 in the 1980s to 1864; the Asian elephant population has increased from 180 to nearly 300; the Tibetan antelope protection level has been downgraded from ‘endangered’ to ‘near threatened’, and its population has increased from less than 75,000 to more than 300,000; the black bear has increased from only 7 individuals to more than 4000 in the wild and artificial breeding populations.
Meanwhile, China has also taken measures such as in-situ conservation, ex-situ conservation, and returning to nature to continue to protect rare and endangered wild plants. A total of 118,000 natural protection areas have been established across the country, providing wild plants with the natural environment they rely on for survival, and about 65% of China’s key protected wild plants and small populations of wild plants are under protection. Through the rescue protection of nearly 100 species of small populations of wild plants such as Dehong Ironwood, Huaigaomu, Baishanzu Zulongbai, Tiantai Yuerli, and Pudong Yuerli, the numbers of some endangered species have gradually recovered.
In addition, China has built nearly 200 botanical gardens at various levels and categories, which have collected and preserved 20,000 species, accounting for 2/3 of China's plant family groups, and has basically completed the collection and preservation of ironwood, palm and key species of orchid and lily families originating from China.
China is one of the countries with the most diverse biodiversity in the world. Since joining the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1981, the Chinese government has conscientiously fulfilled its international obligations and taken a series of stricter measures than CITES, conducting a lot of work in strengthening implementation management, improving regulatory enforcement, cracking down on illegal trade, promoting implementation cooperation, raising public awareness and enhancing comprehensive implementation capabilities.
Source: CCTV News Author: Shuayu Shan
