(Observation of the Two Sessions) Why are wild animals active when tigers enter the village and elephants go north to China?
China News Agency, Beijing, March 6th: Why are wild animals active when tigers enter the village and elephants go north to China?
China News Agency reporter Pang Wuji Li Hanxue
"Encountering a Tiger" - In the past, this situation that was very far away from urban life has occurred frequently in the past two years.
The news of "human-tiger encounter" is frequently reported in the newspapers, and the wild Siberian tiger, which was originally thought to be basically extinct, has returned.
The data picture shows a photo of a Siberian tiger taken by a far-infrared camera.
Photo courtesy of the Publicity Center of Jilin Forestry and Grassland Bureau issued by China News Agency
In addition to tigers, a variety of wild animals appeared on the hot search list last year, including Yunnan elephants returning from north to south, wild boars that roamed everywhere, "degraded" Tibetan antelopes, and animals "following human fights" in Beijing Wildlife Park.
Why are wild animals active in China?
Yang Zhongqi, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the chief expert of the Chinese Academy of Forestry Sciences, said on the through train column of the two sessions of the China News Agency a few days ago that the main reason is that the living environment of wild animals has been greatly improved.
Taking the Siberian tiger as an example, Yang Zhongqi said that in recent years, with the implementation of natural forest protection projects, forest ecosystems in various parts of China have gradually recovered, biodiversity has increased, and tiger food has become abundant.
The Siberian tiger that went out to Siberia, Russia is back, and it is still settling in Northeast China.
In fact, in the past 100 years, the survival situation of wild tigers around the world is not optimistic.
Feng Limin, deputy director of the Northeast Tiger and Leopard Monitoring and Research Center of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration and associate professor at Beijing Normal University, told the China News Agency that in the past 100 years, more than 95% of the global tiger population and habitat have disappeared. The "king of the forest" of the mountain forest has become an endangered animal.
It was once the case in China.
In 2017, China launched a pilot system of the Siberian tiger and leopard national park system, and has since built a 14,000-square-meter Siberian tiger and leopard national park spanning Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces.
Feng Limin said that the reason why the area is so large is to follow the laws of nature.
Tigers are the species at the top of the ecosystem and usually require huge habitats; at the same time, tigers need a rich food chain to survive, which in turn requires a healthy ecosystem as support.
Feng Limin said that the population of wild Siberian tigers and Siberian leopards in the national park has grown rapidly in just four years of piloting.
The latest data shows that the number of tigers and leopards has increased from 27 and 42 in 2015 to more than 50 and 60 respectively.
The adult rate of Siberian tiger cubs has risen from 33% before the pilot to over 50% now.
The Hunchun area in the hinterland of the national park is restored to the historical style of "every mountain has a tiger".
The data map shows the previously monitored Asian elephant herds moving north from Yunnan.
Provided by Yunnan Forest Fire Brigade
In addition, last year's trips to the north and the south of Yunnan elephants also attracted people's attention.
Chen Fei, director of the Asian Elephant Research Center of the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, told a reporter from China News Agency that the elephant group was able to move north and return south smoothly, mainly due to the protection of people along the way.
At that time, the temperature was relatively high in summer. In addition, there were good forest corridors and abundant crops along the way, which provided the elephants with sheltered resting areas and food.
At the same time, there are also local, relevant protection management personnel and surrounding people, escorting the elephants all the way.
He said that according to the latest monitoring, the elephant herd has returned to its original habitat, Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve.
At present, the elephant herd is in good condition. The elephant baby born on the journey has grown up, and has begun to learn life skills from other members of the family, and has also gained a certain degree of independence.
The remaining members of the herd are also in good condition, and the entire migration process did not have any adverse effects on them.
Like wild tigers, Asian elephants face declining numbers.
Chen Fei pointed out that the number of Asian elephants in the world is currently declining, while the number of Asian elephants in China has grown from about 150 in the 1970s to about 300 today.
What should I do if I encounter wild animals?
When more and more wild animals sneak into the living space of human beings, how should people and animals get along?
Especially when wild animals wreak havoc, is it possible to hunt?
Chen Liding, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and director of the State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that it should be viewed from two aspects.
If this species has already met the basic survival needs, then when it expands into the human activity area, it will affect human activities and the survival of other species. At this time, some measures can be taken to control its number.
On the other hand, if a species enters the human activity space because of environmental degradation, the original habitat can no longer meet the needs of survival, then it is necessary to strengthen protection and research.
Chen Fei said that during the migration last year, the elephant herd in Yunnan ate and destroyed some crops, and these claims were handled normally through wildlife accident insurance.
If you encounter a wild animal with strong attack power such as a tiger, Yang Zhongqi reminded him not to panic. If you turn around and run, you may be caught up and your life will be in danger.
"Actually, wild animals are also afraid of people. If you want to overwhelm them with momentum, sometimes wild animals will retreat." (End)