by Zhao Yue

July 29 is World Tiger Day. This year， 130 government officials， experts， and scholars from 12 countries which tigers inhabit， including China， Bangladesh， Russia， and Thailand，

gathered in Kunming， China. In-depth discussions were held on protecting wild tigers and other endangered species and combating the illegal wildlife trade， in hopes of raising public awareness and bringing more attention to tiger protection.

Development of human society， especially industry， poses great threats to biodiversity and wildlife. On a global scale， from the 1970s to the end of 2008， it is estimated that the total population of wildlife dropped 25 percent.

Chinas wildlife protection also faces many challenges. White

paper on Chinas Population， Environment， and Development in

the 21st Century notes that 15 to 20 percent of Chinas plants and animals are threatened with extinction， a higher proportion than the world average of 10 to 15 percent. Of all the wildlife， large mammals face the greatest threats. Excessive hunting， pollution， and city expansion have threatened such species across the board.

According to data compiled by the World Wide Fund for Nature （WWF）， the populations of 12 animals in many of Chinas ecosystems have recently plummeted. The Yangtze River dolphins population dropped 99.4 percent between 1980 and 2006， while the Chinese alligator lost 97 percent from 1955 to 2010. Siberian tiger numbers fell 92 percent from 1975 to 2009 due to hunting， deforestation， habitat loss and intensified human activity. Although the study added that due to greater conservation and reintroduction efforts， some of Chinas “star species，” such as the giant panda，

have seen gradual recoveries， on the whole， the wildlife protection situation is not looking optimistic.

With such gloomy numbers， the Chinese government faces imperative responsibility. In 1950， China issued Protective Measures for Rare Species. In 1956， the country set up its first group of conservation areas. Since the countrys introduction of reform and opening-up in 1978， China has pushed all-in on establishing and improving wildlife laws and regulations， establishing an effective administrative system， protecting as well as expanding wildlife habitats， saving， breeding and releasing wildlife back to nature.

As a country with long borders， China faces a complicated issue of wildlife poaching and smuggling. Still， the nation is making every effort to regulate and supervise wildlife breeding and utilization， and to crack down on poaching and smuggling. In 2012 alone， nearly 10，000 cases were discovered during crackdowns， and 1.13 million wild animals and products were seized. For example， for the snow leopard， a large endangered cat， China formulated special protection policy this May， planning to create 30 protected areas for the species in key areas such as the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Qilian Mountains within ten years.

Established in 1983， the China Wildlife Conservation Association （CWCA） is Chinas largest ecological protection organization. In an interview with China Pictorial， Li Qingwen， deputy secretary-general of CWCA， explained that the organization hopes to get more people involved in conservation activities and raise public awareness of wildlife protection. To achieve these ends， he added that CWCA has been hosting “Bird Loving Week” and “Publicity Month for Wildlife Protection” over the past 30 years. In recent years， the association has also carried out activities such as “Stop Eating Wild Animals” and “Stop Cooking Wild Plants and Animals” for public participation.

“To protect a certain endangered or threatened species， along with protecting the animal itself， it is even more important to protect the habitat，” Li said. “Once its habitat is in good shape， companion animals and the entire ecosystem are effectively protected.”He admits that some endangered species that have been sucked away by rampant illegal international trade， such as the Tibetan antelope and elephant， are definitely more difficult to protect. “To protect such species， cooperation between government agencies， related organizations， and the general public is crucial，” he opines.

Increasing numbers of public Chinese figures are starting to use their influence to bring more attention to wildlife protection. Many celebrities， including Ang Lee， Tony Leung， Jackie Chan， Zhang Ziyi， and Ding Junhui， have appeared in public welfare ads for wildlife protection. In recent years， greater numbers of public advertisements for wildlife protection have aired on Chinese TV and been printed in periodicals in major Chinese cities including Beijing， Shanghai， Guangzhou， and Dalian， influencing the Chinese public in various ways. At the same time， Chinas wildlife photographers have been trekking through mountains and forests to capture the nations endangered species with cameras.