Tag: china

Showcasing wildlife of China: photography exhibition opens in St. Petersburg

Posted on by animaldialogue in Conservation, News

On April 16, the exhibition center of the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg hosted a Chinese wildlife photo exhibit named “Nature Image China”, a second show after the first exhibit in Moscow. This exhibit aroused the Russian public’s interest in Chinese wild animals, as well as China’s recent achievements in wildlife conservation.

Mrs. Tamara, the Russian director of the exhibition, said at the opening ceremony, “Nowadays, the only way to address the issue of wildlife protection is to cooperate with the neighbor country. This is why we think it is vital to showcase the activities of the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) and the best works of Chinese photographers. Though this exhibit, visitors can get to know China—a lush and natural land full of wonder, they can know the life of the nation’s rarest wild animals, and learn about the scientific research and conservation work on the wild animals in China.”

Many Russian media reported the opening ceremony. The CWCA’s mission is to protect rare animals such as panda, golden monkey, South China tiger, Amur tiger, Crested Ibis and Baiji, most of which are close to extinction.

The above are some highlights from the show.
From: https://rosphoto.org/

The CWCA regularly invites famous photographers both from China and aboard to take photos of the ecosystem and organisms in China. The images will be displayed with the title of “Nature Image China” and added to the CWCA’s other project, the China Natural Image Library.

Organized by the committee of the “Primitive Russia” Festival and the CWCA, this exhibition shows the works of 49 photographers from China and other countries. The exhibit is on view from April 16 to May 28.

All information comes from  http://www.cwca.org.cn/

Translated by Henyu Du

Edited by Andrea Jia and Riley Peng @ Animal Dialogue

Chinese organization launches an emergency rescue mission for seized pangolins

Posted on by animaldialogue in Conservation, News

The year 2019 is the “Year of Justifications for Pangolins” for the Pangolin Protection Working Group of the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF). Recently, after years of hard work, the Pangolin Group was entrusted by the relevant authorities to rescue and treat some of the pangolins that had been seized by the customs.

The pangolin is currently the most illegally trafficked mammal in the world. To protect the pangolins, the Pangolin Group has been putting considerable effort into pangolin conservation for years.

The pangolin is a small ant-eating mammal found in Asia. Its skin is covered completely with keratin scales, which are in huge demand in China.

The Pangolin Group aims to tackle illegal pangolin trafficking from multiple angles such as the frontline investigations of pangolin trafficking, requests for customs information disclosure, investigations of the medicinal use of pangolin products, illegal pangolin trade rescue operations, popularization of the science of pangolins, and speaking up about the issue on international platforms.

Due to some ancient misconceptions, China still has a substantial demand for pangolin products for both edible and medicinal purposes. In the early 1990s, pangolins native to China were hunted so much that the local pangolin population could no longer support the commercial demand. Since then, enormous numbers of pangolins and their products from Southeast Asia, South Asia, and even Africa have entered the Chinese market. According to a recent customs operation on March 29th this year, 103 live pangolins, 52 dead bodies, and 21.55 kilograms of scales were seized. The live pangolins would be in a worrying situation if they did not receive the care they needed on time.

The seized pangolin products.

For the emergency pangolin rescue operations, the Pangolin Group has sent staff to two regions, Guangxi and Yunnan, to select appropriate locations and establish rescue camps. At the same time, the staff has been actively communicating with both domestic and foreign experts to prepare for the rescue. Meanwhile, the Pangolin Group has also recruited on-site rescue volunteers and gathered information from the internet for potential locations for the camps. According to the leader of the Pangolin Group, appropriate camp locations must have necessary facilities, relatively convenient transportation, and forests with high numbers of termites nearby.

The rehabilitation of rescued pangolins is a difficult task which requires expert advice.

As of April 11, the Pangolin Group had found a suitable rescue camp location somewhere around Nanning City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The camp encloses a large forest and is only 3 kilometers away from an airport. Currently, the camp has been named the Nn041119PRC base. From now on, the Pangolin Group will be working vigorously to establish the second and the third rescue camp.

All photos and information come from mp.weixin.qq.com/

Translated by Dule

Edited by Andrea Jia and Riley Peng @ Animal Dialogue

The Love and Hate Story between China and Canadian Seal Hunts

Posted on by animaldialogue in animal welfare, Conservation

China’s environmental groups have adopted March 1 as the International Seal Day. Like many international animal advocate groups, Chinese animal protection organizations are opposed to the commercial seal hunt in Canada.

Canada’s Commercial Seal Hunt Controversy

Canadian law prohibits people from interfering with the natural ecology of marine mammals such as seals. At the same time, however, the Canadian government has also approved the annual commercial killing of hundreds of thousands of seals, explicitly prohibiting the hunting of small seals with white fur and less than 12 days old.

People who support the commercial seal hunt say that the seals that Canadians mainly hunt are not endangered species, and the overproduction of seals may impact the ecosystem: if seals eat a lot of cod, the Canadian fishermen will lose cod resources. They stress that though seal hunting scenes tend to be bloody, Canadian seal hunting follows the highest standards of slaughter and fully satisfies the protection of animal welfare. They denied the existence of “live stripping seals” and “killing seal pups” accused by animal protectionists.

Seals are marine mammals with a gestation period of nine months. Female seals give births to one pup at a time, and the animals wean by the age of four to six weeks.
Credit: Abertay University

The voice against the commercial seal hunt is louder on a global scale. Animal advocates claim that 95% of the hunted seals were less than three months old because the seals are poor at swimming and foraging and reluctant to leave the ice, so they are more likely to be killed. Oceanographers who oppose the commercial killing of seals say that the reduction of Atlantic cod is associated with increased human fishing and has nothing to do with seals.

With the efforts of animal protectionists, 35 countries have banned commercial seal trade. Since the 1970s, more than 30 countries and regions including the United States, Mexico, Croatia, and the European Union have banned the import of seal products and the consumption and trade of seal fur. Because of consumer resistance, North American seal products are also rare. However, in some Asian markets, seal products are still selling well.

Canadian environmental and animal activists protest the commercial seal hunt.
Credit: AFP

China, Hong Kong and Taiwan Market

In 2011, news that the Federal Fisheries Department of Canada announced a new trade agreement so that China would start to import Canadian seal meat in the hopes that the Chinese market will compensate for the EU’s ban on the importation of seal meat.

In addition to China’s large market, Canada’s commercial seal industry also strives to lobby Asian countries and regions such as Hong Kong and Taiwan to import seal products.

However, under the resolute opposition of animal protection organizations from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and around the world, China does not seem to agree to open the world’s largest food and consumer goods market. The Chinese customs also imposed strict restrictions on seal products, but a trade ban has not been officially implemented. Hong Kong and Taiwan have also restricted the market for seal products from the government to consumers.

All information comes from www.bbc.com

Translated by Andrea Jia

Edited by Andrea Jia and Riley Peng @ Animal Dialogue

Chinese chicken manufacturer recognized for their commitment to chicken welfare

Posted on by animaldialogue in Animal Agriculture, animal welfare, News

In June 2018, the Jiangsu Lihua Animal Husbandry Co. received the Five-Star Good Chicken Production Award from Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) for their commitment to chicken welfare. Since 2014, CWIF had partnered with the International Cooperation Committee of Animal Welfare (ICCAW) to award Chinese farms according to criteria that equated to stars, and five stars represented the highest achievement in farm welfare. The company became the only manufacturer in Jiangsu Province to receive the award for their high standards. 

The leading brand of chicken meat from the company is called Xueshan (Snow Mountain) Chicken, which is a new type of grass chicken that has been carefully bred by scientists using the high-quality Tibetan chicken and Yunnan Camellia chicken as the primary parent stock. 

Dr. Yuan Qingyan from the company’s technical department explained, “Xueshan Chicken has been selected and bred through many generations. This type of chicken is characterized by their wild nature.” Catering to the chicken’s nature, the housing of the Xueshan Chicken has a natural litter of rice husk as bedding, and is designed to be semi-open with perches. Dr. Yuan has been working in the company for 11 years since she joined Lihua in 2007.

“Chickens naturally enjoy jumping around and resting on perches. Our special perch has earned the Utility Model Patent,” said Dr. Yuan. “Besides, we built large fields with a sand bath area. Chickens can grow in a large area, and they have more opportunity to run around freely and exercise, which improves the meat quality. These chickens are adept at running and flying, and some can even hop up into a tree.”

Dr. Yuan also addressed, “The chicken house environment is controlled to provide a comfortable place for chickens. The daily temperature variation in the chicken house is reduced in the winter. In the summer, the house can be kept very cool.”

The technical regulations for raising Xueshan Chicken in Lihua have been regarded as local farming standards by the Jiangsu government. “The chickens in this system are rarely sick. Accordingly, the amount of medicine used is also reduced, and the food safety is greatly improved.” Dr. Yuan said.

All information comes from js.china.com

Translated by Dule

Edited by Andrea Jia and Riley Peng @ Animal Dialogue

The City of Shenzhen educates youth on appropriate ways to raise dogs in an urban environment

Posted on by animaldialogue in animal welfare, News, Uncategorized

As the typhoon Mangkhut tore through Shenzhen, many people are worried about stray dogs wandering the city’s streets. Discussions about how to reduce the number of stray dogs and how to help them effectively have become heated. On the afternoon of September 21st, the Civilized Dog Raising Lecture was held in the Shenzhen Nanshan Foreign Languages School.

The speakers and the students shared a meaningful experience before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Questions such as how to be a responsible dog owner and how to prevent the increase of stray animals were discussed. To answer these particular questions, the Civilized Dog Raising Lecture introduced ways to care for stray animals and appropriate standards of dog care which resonated well with the students.

2.jpg

Organized by the Shenzhen Urban Management Bureau with various community organizations, the Civilized Dog Raising Lecture has the theme of “Civilized dog raising and a healthy lifestyle” and strives to promote responsible ownership of dogs. Starting from December 2017, the talks have been held in 20 schools and 30 districts such as Futian, Luohu, Nanshan, Longhua, and Longgang. Vivid and specific with methods that are easy to practice, the speeches are warmly welcomed by students and local dog owners.

Darren Wang, the speaker and the education ambassador of Hong Kong SPCA, began the lecture with comics to entice the students. He specifically focused on elements such as “animal cognition,” “the animals’ needs,” “mistakes in dogs’ upbringing,” and “raising dogs legally.” The students were thoroughly engaged. During the section, “identifying dog habits,” some students participated in the role-playing games and learned how to recognize the emotions of dogs. Using an educational video, Wang taught the students the significance of harmonious coexistence between humans and animals, respect, and looking after the animals’ true needs. Wang also discussed the stray animals that were suffering from the typhoon Mangkhut and addressed the owner’s important responsibility in reducing the number of stray dogs. Wang encouraged students to start taking small steps, such as not abandoning dogs and adopting dogs instead of buying and helping stray dogs.

1.jpg

Both the students and teachers loved the humorous style of the lecture. The Vice Principal, Li Yiyang, enjoyed the lecture greatly. She also encouraged the students to respect and take care of the animals living around them.

This year, the Shenzhen Urban Management Bureau carried out a series of activities promoting responsible dog ownership from different aspects such as publicity, service, management, and law enforcement. Examples of activities are Year of the Dog Painting Contest, the Best Dog Owner Award, and the Owner Responsibility Neighborhood Outreach, etc.

All information and photos come from sznews.com

Translated by Dule

Edited by Andrea Jia & Riley Peng @ Animal Dialogue

 

 

Parental behaviors of Chinese mountain cats were recorded in the Sanjiangyuan area

Posted on by animaldialogue in Conservation, News, Uncategorized

For the first time, parental behaviors of the Chinese mountain cat were recorded in the Sanjiangyuan area.

Recently, the childcare activities of the endemic Chinese mountain cat, Felis bieti, were recorded for the first time in a site near Tongtian River, Chengduo County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province.

The Chinese mountain cat is the national second-class protected animal in China. It is also one of only two unique carnivores found solely in China, the other one being the giant panda. At present, the Chinese Mountain Cat is seen only in Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu, and other regions. Due to the species’ elusive nature and limited range, records of their appearance have been minimal for many years. It was only 11 years ago in 2007 that the first photo of a Chinese mountain cat was captured in the wild. It is considered one of the most mysterious felids in the world.

Screen Shot 2018-10-30 at 2.49.11 AM.png

“From September 20, 2018, one of the infrared cameras deployed in the area of Chengduo County had been recording the breeding nest of a Chinese mountain cat, and it continuously captured the behavior of a Chinese mountain cat mother and two kittens.” Zhao Xiang, the program director of the ShanShui Conservation Center, said. “This survey recorded the activity of a Chinese mountain cat family. The two kittens were 2 to 3 months old, and their mother trained them to hunt preys and perform other skills everyday. Also, the footage was complete.”

The Chinese Mountain Cat is one of the top carnivores in the grassland. They mainly feed on rodents such as pikas and birds. The survey indicated that Chinese mountain cats prey on two plateau pikas every day. Therefore, protecting Chinese Mountain Cats is also very important for maintaining the integrity of the grassland ecosystem.

Screen Shot 2018-10-30 at 2.48.59 AM

“Because the Chinese mountain cat is only found in China, we need to play a more important role in its research and protection,” said Dr. Xiao Lingyun, a researcher at Peking University Nature Conservation and Social Development. He told reporters that currently, the academic community knows very little about their behavior, population status, and other information.

In the future, ShanShui Nature Conservation Center will further cooperate with county officials to conduct long-term evaluation surveys in the surrounding areas to determine the distribution of Chinese mountain cats in the region and threats to the population to implement targeted protection work.

All information and photos come from The China News: http://zdx.forestry.gov.cn/bhxh/640/20181015/000224143262767.html

Translator: Sherry Yao

First edits: Andrea Jia

Final edits: Riley Peng

@Animal Dialogue

Dog film launches a “Love Dog Action”

Posted on by animaldialogue in animal welfare, Interviews, News, Uncategorized

The cutest movie in the Year of the Dog, The Big Rescue, has teamed up with the China Small Animal Protection Association (CSAPA) to raise funds for the eradication of rabies in China. For each ticket sold, The Big Rescue will donate one yuan to the CSAPA, which will use the funds to feed and immunize stray animals.

The Big Rescue tells the story of a grand partnership formed between man and man’s best friend to rescue kidnapped pooches from a drug ring. Due to its animal protectionist theme, the movie had attracted the attention of CSAPA members since the pre-production stage.

2.jpg

China Small Animal Protection Association was formally founded in 1992. Based in Beijing, the CSAPA organizes public education campaigns, outreach, and animal rescues. The CSAPA’s mission is to protect animals’ freedom from death, illness, and abuse and to improve the living standards of small animals.

Ms. Liang Ting, the film’s producer, director, and screenwriter, said that the purpose of the film is to “spread the idea of animal protectionism and animals’ equal right to live.”

Ms. Liang Ting added, “Although the public’s animal-loving sentiment is growing stronger, the number of stray animals is steadily rising, which may somewhat increase the risk of diseases in humans.”

3.jpg

China has the second highest number of reported rabies cases in the world after India. Dr. Fu Zhenfang, a world-renowned rabies expert and the professor of pathology at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said in an interview, “The highest priority of rabies prevention is animal immunization. Animals should be vaccinated in both urban and rural areas.”

The Big Rescue and CSAPA will use the majority of the funds raised to administer rabies vaccines to stray animals in addition to purchasing food and medical supplies.

All information and photos come from ifeng.com

Translated by Andrea Jia and edited by Riley Peng @ Animal Dialogue

The first public interest litigation on endangered animal conservation was held in Kunming, Yunnan

Posted on by animaldialogue in Conservation, News, Uncategorized

On August 28th, 2018, the very first public interest litigation on endangered animal conservation in China, the case on green peafowl habitat protection, was held in the Environmental Court of Kunming Intermediate People’s Court. The trial opened on the 28th. After three hours of court investigation and debate, the court announced the end of the trial. The sentence would be announced at a later date.

1
A green peafowl in its habitat in Kunming, Yunnan @ Wei Zhang, Wild China

In July 2017, to prevent the construction of the Jiasa River-I hydropower station from destroying the last intact green peafowl habitat in China, Friends of Nature brought a lawsuit. The lawsuit demanded that the defendants, the China Hydropower Consulting Group Xinping Co. Ltd and China Power Construction Group Kunming Survey and Design Institute Co. Ltd, halt the construction of the hydropower station in the Jiasa River.

The focus of the case centered around whether the two defendants would cause large-scale destructions to the ecosystems in the inundated areas. The plaintiff, Friends of Nature, stated that the inundated area of the construction project was a habitat with the largest green peafowl population. The construction would result in substantial environmental damage to the critical habitat of green peafowls, and would very likely cause the green peafowls in the region to go extinct.

2
@ Xiaosong Zhuang

The representatives from the defendants’ side questioned the professionalism of the plaintiff’s experts. They argued in court that, based on their environmental impact assessment, the construction would cause no considerable damage to the ecosystems and the species.

The construction project is located in a tropical rainforest, where the biodiversity would be tremendously damaged by the hydropower station.

3

Currently, the two defendants are waiting for instructions from relevant government departments as to whether or not to resume the construction.

All information and photos come from Friends of Nature: http://www.fon.org.cn/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=13220:2018-08-30-02-37-33&Itemid=176

Translated by Dule and edited by Riley Peng @ Animal Dialogue

The 2018 International Alliance of Protected Areas Annual Meeting

Posted on by animaldialogue in Conservation, News, Uncategorized

From September 13-14, the 2018 International Alliance of Protected Areas Annual Meeting was held in the Baekdu Mountains.

The meeting mainly focused on the role of natural protected areas as the human ecological safety bottomline. Scientists from different countries delivered presentations on different research areas and had a conversation on the functions of ecosystems and the management of protected areas.

The Baekdu Mountains, also called the Changbai Mountains in Chinese, is located in Jilin Province in northeastern China. It is famous for its unique cultural heritage and biodiversity. In the meeting, the Jilin Province representative emphasized the ecological importance of the Baekdu Mountains ecosystems and hoped to further enhance international communication and cooperation on future environmental protection plans.

2.jpg

In the conference, Wenhua Xiong, Director of the Office of the International Society of Zoological Sciences, the Secretary of the East African Wildlife Insurance Association, and the Nature Guardian Wildlife Development and Research Center jointly signed a tripartite cooperation memorandum, further promoting the development of wildlife conservation in both Africa and China.

Translated by Dule and edited by Riley Peng @ Animal Dialogue

All information and photos come from People.cn: http://env.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0914/c1010-30294686.html

Vegetarian cyclers ride across China to promote a low-carbon, vegetarian lifestyle

Posted on by animaldialogue in animal welfare, News, Uncategorized, Vegetarianism and veganism

Hotpot is a must-have food for those traveling to Shancheng, Chongqing. Tiejun Xie and his fellow cyclers also enjoyed vegetarian hotpot as their first meal upon arriving in Chongqing.

In fact, starting from August 7th in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, in the past month, they cycled for nearly 3,000 kilometers, solely fueled by vegetarian food. Early in the morning on September 10th, cyclers in the “Cycle Vegetarian Journey,” which promotes low-carbon life, just departed from Chongqing to resume their journey and will soon begin their return journey.

1. Why be a vegetarian cycler?

Yucheng Jiang, the organizer of this vegetarian cycling movement, defines vegetarian cycling as an outdoor public welfare activity. It has been held for the third consecutive year. Every year, cyclers ride thousands of miles to promote a low-carbon, healthy lifestyle.

The original intention of Jiang Yucheng and his fellow cyclers was quite simple. He found today’s environmental crises and public health issues worthy of attention. Everyone hopes to do something about it. Vegetarianism and cycling are crucial components of a low-carbon, healthy lifestyle.

Cycling the healthy and low-carbon way: Jiang Yucheng said that in the food production process, vegetarian foods generate much lower carbon emissions than meat. If vegetarian foods can sufficiently fuel cyclers’ immense energy expenditures, normal people can definitely be healthy and strong on a vegetarian diet.

Screen Shot 2018-09-14 at 4.54.09 PM
Delicious vegetarian dishes enjoyed by these cyclers @crl.net

2. Can only vegetarian participate?

This time, after cycling back to his hometown, because he has his own business in Jiangsu, he found it unrealistic to devote all his time to cycling. “Each segment of the journey lasts 7 days. I participate in 4 of them. After all, I have to take time to go back and take care of my work. When exiting from Wuxi, we had 22 people — friends of all ages in various industries, including college students, entrepreneurs, doctors, etc. Some have left, while new people have joined.

Upon arriving in Chongqing, the group consisted of 19 people, and 7 planned on completing the entire ride. Among those taking part in the journey, some have been vegetarian for over ten years. Those who are not vegetarians are also welcome, as long as they are willing to participate and eat vegetarian during the journey.

Screen Shot 2018-09-14 at 4.54.37 PM
@crl.net

3. Vegetarians don’t have enough nutrition?

Jiang Yucheng said that during the ride, both their vegetarian diet and exercise are carried out scientifically. The team plans the route for the next day in advance everyday and adjusts according to road conditions. Their diet plan has been designed by dietitians to ensure sufficient nutritional supply.

All information comes from Xinhua News: http://www.cq.xinhuanet.com/2018-09/10/c_1123404607.htm

All photos come from crl.cn: http://cq.cri.cn/20180910/f1f9af08-c725-41c8-6661-8ab67a495c31-3.html

Translated by Sherry Yao and edited by Riley Peng @ Animal Dialogue