China News Service, Guangzhou, April 10th: Guangdong's creation of Nanling National Park to help South China Tigers "rejuvenate their glory"
China News Service reporter Cheng Jingwei
In recent years, Guangdong has made every effort to promote the creation of the province's first national park, Nanling National Park.
Last year, the "Implementation Opinions on Establishing a Natural Reserve System with National Parks as the Main Body" issued by the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government proposed that the main construction tasks of Nanling National Park should be completed by 2025.
The relevant person in charge of the Guangdong Forestry Bureau said that Guangdong should promote the protection and sustainable development of the Nanling ecosystem and biodiversity through the construction of Nanling National Park, and coordinate the promotion of ecological protection and restoration of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes and grasslands, and promote the harmonious coexistence of man and nature.
Photo by Chen Jimin, South China Tiger
For the South China tiger, known as the top ten endangered animals in the world, the establishment of Nanling National Park will undoubtedly bring new opportunities for its population breeding and wild training.
"I hope to take the creation of Nanling National Park as an opportunity to expand the scope of protection of the South China tiger's habitat and gradually restore and rebuild its natural ecosystem." Gong Zhihai, director and senior engineer of the Management Office of the South China Tiger Provincial Nature Reserve in northern Guangdong, recently accepted a reporter. said in an interview.
South China Tiger Breeds Record Survival Rate of 100%
The South China Tiger Provincial Nature Reserve in northern Guangdong is located at the southern end of the Nanling Mountains.
In the middle of the night on December 31, 2021, at the Shaoguan South China Tiger Breeding Research Base in the reserve, the South China tiger mother "Mengmeng" successfully gave birth to two cubs.
This is also after the two female tiger cubs "Yuanyuan" and "Qingqing" were welcomed in March and September 2021, and the base "welcomes new" again within a year, setting a high-yield record of "three babies in one year" for South China tigers. And all four tiger cubs survived, with a 100% survival rate.
Recently, the reporter visited the base and saw that the two little "tiger girls" are growing well and have strong appetites.
The weight has grown from less than 1 kilogram at birth to more than 10 kilograms now, and is in good health.
"They have been growing in weight since they were just born, and they are currently in good development, and their usual activities are still acceptable," said a breeder.
The breeder took the little South China tiger for a "ride" at the base. Photo by Chen Jimin
Since the birth of the two little "Hu Niu", the base's four breeders have formed a "Team of 4 Dads".
They rest on the bed and the tiger cubs are separated by a wall, and the four take turns to take care of the two tiger cubs 24 hours a day.
At the beginning, the tiger baby lived in the incubator, and then it needed to be changed to a "kindergarten" with a larger space, and the feeding food would gradually change from milk powder to meat puree, chicken breast, beef, etc.
Lei Shengqiao, director of South China tiger breeding at the base, said that the total number of South China tigers in the base has grown from 2 at first to 13 now, including 4 cubs under 1 year old and 1 tiger cub who is about to turn 3 years old. Sub-adult tigers, 4 adult tigers that can reproduce and 4 old tigers have formed a small population of South China tigers.
"It is expected that two tigresses will be breeding paired in the second half of 2022, one is "Meimei" born in 2019, and can enter the breeding pairing stage after turning 3 years old in July this year; the other is "Mengmeng", that is The mother of the South China Tiger twins is expected to return to her best condition in April this year." Lei Shengqiao is full of expectations.
South China tiger population is effectively protected and developed
There are 9 subspecies of tigers, and 3 subspecies are now extinct.
The South China tiger is a subspecies endemic to China and belongs to the national first-class protected animal.
Inbreeding has become an unavoidable problem in the breeding of South China tigers.
According to reports, the existing captive South China tigers are all bred from 6 founders of the population.
When South China tigers are paired and bred, the farther the kinship is, the higher the probability of healthy survival of the tiger cubs.
Photo by Chen Jimin, a South China tiger cub
The South China Tiger Provincial Nature Reserve in North Guangdong, Guangdong is the earliest established South China Tiger Nature Reserve in China. The South China Tiger Breeding Base was established in 2008. Located in Shaoguan National Forest Park, it is the largest South China tiger breeding research base in China.
According to the traditional living habits and living conditions of South China tigers, the planning and design are carried out in a semi-wild mode.
In recent years, the base has made full use of the limited population in captivity, and actively carried out research on the domestication, breeding and wildization of South China tigers, and solved some problems in the breeding and breeding of South China tigers.
By taking a series of scientific breeding and artificial breeding measures, the survival rate of South China tiger cubs has been greatly improved, the population quality has been optimized, and the South China tiger population has been effectively protected and developed.
At present, the base has built 3 South China tiger breeding areas in semi-wild mode, 1 nursery area (South China Tiger Kindergarten), 15 sets of tiger houses, and can raise 20 South China tigers at the same time.
In addition, the base has also established scientific research facilities such as monitoring rooms, laboratories, and expert buildings, as well as popular science education facilities such as the Tiger Culture Education Center, Ecological Plaza, and Popular Science Promenade.
The reporter saw that, unlike the sturdy Siberian tigers, the South China tigers are more lean and dexterous. Coupled with the effective diet management of the base, all South China tigers in the base are currently in good condition.
According to the base, the weight of the South China tigers in the base is in a healthy range, which provides a good foundation for further breeding.
Create Nanling National Park to help South China Tigers "Roaring Tiger Forest"
The South China tiger is the flagship species of the forest ecosystem in southern China, and its status is very prominent. The protection and breeding of the South China tiger is of great significance to biodiversity conservation.
Part of the Guangdong South China Tiger Provincial Nature Reserve has been included in the construction scope of Nanling National Park.
"The Nanling area itself has ecological conditions that are very conducive to the life of South China tigers. Guangdong is making every effort to promote the construction of Nanling National Park, and promote the solution to the fragmentation and isolation of species protection and biodiversity protection." Gong Zhihai, director of the Nature Reserve Management Office and senior engineer, said.
The "Implementation Opinions on Establishing a Natural Reserve System with National Parks as the Main Body" issued by the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government shows that the main construction tasks of Nanling National Park will be completed in 2025, and Guangdong will improve relevant systems and enhance natural ecology. space carrying capacity.
The relevant person in charge of the Guangdong Forestry Bureau said that Guangdong will insist on promoting the construction of a natural reserve system with national parks as the main body, optimize the spatial pattern of biodiversity protection, and improve the level of protection; it will further promote the protection of rare and endangered species such as the South China tiger.
It can be foreseen that with the effective progress of the construction of Guangdong's natural reserve system with national parks as the main body, the domestication, breeding and rewilding of South China tigers will usher in a broader development space in the future.
In this regard, Gong Zhihai said that the basic work of breeding South China tigers should be done at present, and the population should be continuously expanded. On this basis, we should gradually carry out wild training, and in the future, when conditions are suitable, we should promote the return of South China tigers to nature.
"Nanling is the original residence of South China tigers. I hope more people will participate in the breeding and protection of South China tigers, so that the population of South China tigers will continue to grow, so that South China tigers will 'rejuvenate' in Nanling, and realize the beauty of tiger roaring mountains and forests. vision," he said.
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