For wildlife and humans, the earth is our shared homeland. This year's World Wildlife Day, on March 3, the theme is "sustaining all life on earth." The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and many other epidemics that are linked to wildlife make us more aware that humans and wildlife are closely connected. If we hunt wild animals and encroach on their habitat, sooner or later, nature will find its way to restore the balance. "Save wildlife to save ourselves" is not an empty slogan, but a fact.
In the past 50 years, the population of wild animals dropped 60 percent on average. Every year, 15 million hectares of rainforest disappears, and the melting of glaciers accelerates. We humans can no longer consider ourselves a unique species different from others, but must recognize that wildlife and us are all inhabitants of this planet and parts of the ecosystem. Only if we protect wildlife and respect nature, can we sustain our civilization.
Here are collections of endangered fauna and flora in China. Enjoy the beauty of biodiversity!
The giant panda is the national treasure of China. In 2019, the number of captive panda reached 600 worldwide. There are fewer than 2,000 pandas living in the wild, mostly in the provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi. /VCG
The golden snub-nosed monkey is under first-class state protection in China. Living at altitudes of 1,500-3,400 meters, they can withstand colder temperatures than any other non-human primate. /VCG
The snow leopard is native to the snowy mountain areas of Central and South Asia. Its global population is less than 4,000, and 60 percent of its habitat is in China. /VCG
The Asian elephant is an endangered giant residing in southwest China's Yunnan Province. In 2016, the population of wild Asian elephants in China was less than 250. /VCG
Milu deer, also called Père David's deer, once went extinct in its homeland China in the 1900s but was successfully reintroduced in 1985. Now, the population of milu deer in China is over 7,000. /VCG
The golden pheasant is native to China and lives in the forests and shrublands of the northwestern regions. It is under second-class state protection in China and is thought to be the ancestor of the phoenix representing auspiciousness. /CGTN
Przewalski's horse is the world's last surviving wild horse subspecies. The breed became extinct in the wild in China in the 1960s due to over-hunting but was reintroduced in northwest China in the 1980s. There are currently about 1,300 Przewalski's horses worldwide. /VCG
Spotted seal is the only flipper-footed breed in Chinese waters. It is now under second-class state protection in China. /VCG
Alsophila spinulosa is a living fossil that records the geological and environmental change in ancient times and is now under first-class state protection in China. /CGTN
The dove tree mainly grows in central and southwest China and is under first-class state protection in China. In central China's Hunan Province, the eldest dove tree is almost 400 years old and still bears fruit. /CGTN
The China Bretschneidera is an ancient species that has survived from the erosion of the Quaternary glaciation. Native to China, it is now on the brink of extinction. /CGTN
Grand torreya is a precious plant under second-class state protection in China. It is over 1,500 years old, making it one of the oldest trees in east China's Jiangxi Province. It still bears fruit every year. /CGTN
The Chinese yew is known as the giant panda of the plant kingdom, and has lived for 2.5 million years. The tree grows very slowly, usually taking 100 to 250 years for a sprout to grow into a tree. /VCG
Pleione is a native species that favors to live on mossy rocks. It is under second-class state protection in China. /CGTN
(Cover image via VCG, designed by CGTN's Feng Yuan.)
(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)