Recently, news such as Changchun Zoological and Botanical Park in Jilin Province brought Siberian tiger cubs to a hotel for tourists to cuddle and Hegang in Heilongjiang brought red-crowned cranes to Central Street in Harbin for a display, etc., which attracted the attention of animal protection volunteers. Volunteers said that both Siberian tigers and red-crowned cranes are national first-level protected animals, and related interaction and display activities must be approved.
On January 30, The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) learned from relevant animal protection volunteers that they had applied for information disclosure to the forestry and grassland department. Recently, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Jilin Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau, and Heilongjiang Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau issued responses respectively. The Jilin Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau stated that it has instructed the relevant person in charge of the Changchun City Zoological and Botanical Park to completely suspend related activities; the Heilongjiang Forestry and Grassland Bureau stated that the Hegang red-crowned crane display in Harbin did not require administrative permission and was immediately suspended. For this activity, the responsible units will be punished in accordance with laws and regulations.
Jilin Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau: This activity has been completely suspended
According to media reports, on January 10, 2024, Jilin Changchun Zoological and Botanical Park brought Siberian tiger cubs to a hotel, allowing the Siberian tiger cubs to interact at close range with foreign tourists staying in the hotel.
"The Siberian tiger is a national first-level protected wild animal. After learning this news, we were a little doubtful whether (the behavior) had been approved." According to an animal protection volunteer.
On January 12, animal protection volunteers applied for public information to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Jilin Provincial Forestry and Grassland Administration respectively.
On January 19, the Jilin Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau responded in writing: After review, due to the reason that the approval authority for activities utilizing live tigers and products does not belong to our bureau, the "permission for Changchun Zoological and Botanical Park to be opened in January 2024 for your application to be disclosed" The administrative permission document for sending Siberian tiger cubs to tourist accommodation hotels for interactive and close contact activities on the 10th, including but not limited to the number of Siberian tigers allowed for this use, the location of use, the method of use, etc. "This agency is not responsible for disclosing . As soon as our bureau learned of the incident, it instructed the Changchun City Forestry and Garden Bureau to interview the relevant person in charge of the Changchun City Zoological and Botanical Park and completely stop the activity. The park promises that in the next step, it will strictly comply with the requirements of laws and regulations, carry out relevant wildlife exhibitions and popular science education activities within the park, and effectively ensure animal welfare.
On January 24, the State Forestry and Grassland Administration responded in writing: After searching, the government information you applied for disclosure does not exist, and we are hereby informed.
Heilongjiang Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau: Will strengthen supervision and management of wildlife exhibitions and performances
In addition, animal protection volunteers also commented on "I heard that tourists from the south wanted to see red-crowned cranes. Hegang lent the only red-crowned crane to Harbin" and "Qiqihar actually reached an agreement with the red-crowned crane on local cultural tourism: they will soon take off from Hecheng to meet in Harbin", etc. Questions arise about online information.
"The red-crowned crane is also a national first-level protected wild animal." Animal protection volunteers said that they applied for information disclosure to the Heilongjiang Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau.
Regarding the application of animal protection volunteers, the "administrative permission document of the competent department allowing the red-crowned crane, a national first-level protected wild animal from Hegang, to be brought to Central Street in Harbin to meet and interact with tourists on the evening of January 6, 2024, also allows this "Administrative licensing document for the operation and utilization of red-crowned cranes", the Heilongjiang Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau responded in writing on January 29: "After verification, on January 6, 2024, Hegang City, in response to the arrangements for the Heilongjiang Province Ice and Snow Tourism Festival, further To promote tourism in Hegang City, red-crowned cranes were brought to Harbin Central Street for display and performances without administrative permission. Our bureau immediately instructed the Hegang City Forestry and Grassland Bureau to immediately suspend the red-crowned crane display and performance activities in accordance with laws and regulations. Punish the responsible units."
The animal protection volunteers applied for disclosure of the administrative licensing documents regarding the red-crowned cranes that will be sent from Qiqihar to Harbin for tourists to watch in the near future, including but not limited to the number, source, utilization form, and utilization (exhibition) of the red-crowned cranes that will be transported to Harbin. Location, use time and other information," the Heilongjiang Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau said in a written reply on January 29: "After verification, Qiqihar City has not sent red-crowned cranes to Harbin City for display activities, and there is no such related plan. For similar wild wild animals, The Heilongjiang Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau attaches great importance to animal exhibitions and performances, and requires the forestry and grassland authorities at all levels to provide high-quality services for the development of the ice and snow economy in our province with high standards and high standards, and to effectively strengthen the supervision and management of wild animal exhibitions and performances. "
Animal protection volunteers: Legal popularization work should be strengthened
Animal protection volunteers believe that Siberian tigers and red-crowned cranes, which are national first-level protected animals, were taken away to interact with tourists without approval from the competent authorities. "The approval process and supervision process have all failed." Animal protection volunteers said that on the other hand, wild animals are likely to behave aggressively when they are in a state of stress and fear, and there is also a risk of transmitting zoonotic diseases between wild animals and humans in close contact.
Animal protection volunteers suggested that the publicity of laws and regulations related to wildlife protection and the popularization of natural ecological knowledge should be strengthened to ensure that laws must be followed; at the same time, social supervision should be encouraged and the proactive disclosure of information related to wildlife protection should be strengthened so that ordinary people can actively participate into wildlife conservation.
The Paper reporter Wang Xin