Saving the Tiger
WCS-ACCP/04/2001
Project Title: Reducing Tiger Products Use in China-Ⅲ Project #: 2000-182-008 Grant Period: April 1,2000 to March 31,2001 Report Period: October 1,2000 to March 31,2001(Report 2 of 2)
GOALS: 1) To Raise public awareness and influence pattern of use of tiger-based products among the Asian populations as a way to reduce pressures on tiger populations in the wild, and 2) To strengthen existing collaborations between the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and various levels of the government and scientific institutions in China to promote public conservation education.
PROGRESS: This is the second and final report for a project conducted by Dr. Endi Zhang, Director of the WCS Asian Conservation Communication Program (WCS-ACCP) based in Shanghai, China. Following progresses were made:
Collaborators and other institutional affiliations:
State Forestry Administration (SFA), Ministry of Education (MoE), State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), China Endangered Species Import and Export Administration, China Wildlife Conservation Association, China Endangered Species Scientific Commission, Shanghai Wildlife Conservation and Management Office, Shanghai CITES Office, Shanghai Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, Shanghai Zoo, Shanghai Center for Youth Wildlife Conservation Education, Ogvily & Mather Shanghai, Shanghai Wild Animal Park, Shanghai Onway Multimedia Software & Network Exploitation Co. Ltd., East China Normal University (ECNU), Second Military Medicine University, Shanghai University of TCM, Guangzhou University of TCM, Life and Nature Association, Nature Protection Association, Univ. of Science & Technology. Guizhou University of TCM, Shanghai Cable TV, and Shanghai TV.
1) TCM community:
The demand for tiger part, especially bone, used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and related products, is a major driving force behind poaching of tiger in many areas. If tigers are to be protected from poaching and their survival ensured, it is essential to address the trade issue at the point of supply and demand. Based in Mainland China, WCS-ACCP continued conducting activities to tackle this problem in China, which include as followings:
1. Workshops • On November 30, a TCM workshop was held in Guangzhou at the Guangzhou
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University of TCM. A total of fifteen top TCM practitioners and wildlife conservationists attended this workshop. Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong Province, which is a famous place for wildlife trade. Guangdong has a great influence in TCM business. This workshop has drawn great attention among the professionals and government officials in the field.
• On March 17, 2001, a TCM workshop was hold in Guiyang at the Guiyang University of TCM. A total of 10 top TCM practitioners and wildlife conservationists attended this workshop. Which including the university president, several imminent professors of TCM and two famous TCM practitioners. Such workshop was the first of its kind ever been hold in the region. For Guizhou Province is well known for the production of TCM materials as well as many illegal hunted the wildlife for medicinal uses. Mr. Li Mingjing, the head of wildlife conservation division of the Guizhou Provincial Forestry Bureau told us that they will improve the wildlife law enforcement in the province in order to achieve a sound conservation.
2. Debates and other Campus-based Activities In order to facilitate dialogue among university students of different majors over wildlife consumption in TCM, in November 2000, WCS-ACCP organized a debate between the students from ECNU and that from Shanghai University of TCM on the topic of “Whether using endangered wildlife in medicine is advantageous or disadvantageous.” More than 100 people attended the debate, which was held at the Shanghai University of TCM. We attach a copy of the report that was prepared by program staff, and the copies of the reports were also distributed to over 100 institutions, government departments, on-compass students and selected individuals in Shanghai and elsewhere. The feedback from the attendees thus far was very positive and encouraging.
Also sponsored by WCS and STF, another series activities entitled “ Wild animal ought to/not to be used into medicine” was launched in Hefei, Anhui province in November 2000, activities including public awareness survey, campus-based speech and an Intranet (the intranet of Anhui Science and Technology University) discussion over the issue. A total of 2，000 sheets of questionnaires were distributed including 1，000 to the drug stores (they are also selling some TCM medicines), street citizens and 1，000 to college students of Anhui Science and Technology University. Altogether 874 sheets from the public and 880 from the campus were fed back, the feedback rate was up to 87.7%，which shows that the students and the public pay more attention to the activities. The on-campus talk given by Zu Shuxian – a famous TCM professor in China, and the Intranet discussion over the use of wild animal into medicine drew hundred’s of students’ attention and stirred an argument among them.
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3. Publication In order to prompt the conservation of wildlife resources and to rise public awareness, with full support from the Save the Tiger Fund, the book named “Conservation of Endangered Medicinal Wildlife Resources in China” edited by Dr. Zhang and Prof. Zheng Hancheng was published in August, 2000 (in Chinese with English summary). This book have collected many important conservation articles written by senior specialists, a selected titles are as following: 1. Conservation Strategy for Sustainable Use of the Wildlife Used in Traditional Chinese Medicine 2. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Fulfillment of the Obligation the CITES. 3. Status and Conservation of Musk Deer Resources in China This book is the first such kind of publication in Chinese and would be a helpful reference for governments, institutions and concerned individuals.
2) The propagation and education activities on wildlife conservation in universities, middle and primary schools in Shanghai
1. To increase the awareness among the school students in Shanghai that many wild animals are becoming endangered due to poaching driven by economic profits, and that all kinds of wildlife consumption especially for food and medicine are the major causes, WCS-ACCP has been conducting a joint “model school” project with Shanghai Wildlife Conversation Association (SWCA), the Shanghai Science Education Center, and the Shanghai Zoo. As part of the project, for the past eight months WCS-ACCP Education Coordinator Mr. Jianhua Wang has been conducting an educational activity entitled, “Big hands in small hands, welcome the new century,” which aims to educate students on protecting the environment and ourselves by resisting eating wildlife and using endangered species-based medicines. A total of 40 schools where enrolled as “model schools for wildlife conservation.”. All of the schools have promised to continue to conduct “wildlife conservation education” for at least two years from the date of signature, and to keep wildlife conservation education as their major after-school activity. Among many activities, save the tiger is the topic that students and their instructor worked on with great enthusiasm. WCS and SWCA are providing technical assistance to these schools.
2. We have organized a month-long wildlife conservation campaign from December 14 2000 through January 15, 2001 with several institutions and organizations in Shanghai including China Endangered Species Import and Export Administration, China Wildlife Conservation Association, China Endangered Species Scientific Commission, Shanghai Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, Shanghai Zoo, Shanghai Center for Youth Wildlife Conservation Education etc. The opening ceremony was held in Xujiawei Square, downtown Shanghai, hundreds and thousands students took part in this campaign, both Shanghai TV and Shanghai Cable TV gave a live report.
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3. On April 8, 2001, to echo the opening ceremony of 20th “National Bird Love Week,” proposed by WCS-ACCP, associated with East China Normal University, Green Forum of Shanghai University, 11 universities and 15 environment conservation leagues, a proposal was brought forward to advocate conserving birds, including: changing old idea from buying cage bird to releasing them back to wild, bird watching, building up green consumption idea through resisting eating wildlife.
4. On December 31, 2000, program representative joined in a function held at Shanghai Wild Animal Park, at which accomplishments of series of activities on the theme of “Protect environment, protect ourselves, advocate a more civilized lifestyle, and resist eating wildlife” were summarized.
5. A series of articles on wild tigers written by program staff member was published in the September issue of “The Science For Juveniles,” a nationwide magazine for the youngsters. The articles covered a range of information about wild tigers, including their behavior, historical distribution, endangered status, etc. With the monthly publication of 200,000 magazines, it is hoped that publishing such papers will provide thousands of young audiences with a full image of wild tigers and their status.
6. Chinese wildlife website (www.wildlifewatcher.net) As the Internet becomes more and more popular throughout the world, China is no exception. There is a wealth of wildlife websites, however, most of them are in English and there are no sites in simplified Chinese (the official Chinese in Mainland China and the most popular form of the Chinese characters) devoted wildlife conservation to date. WCS-ACCP, together with the Shanghai Wildlife Management Office, the Shanghai CITES Office, the Management Office of Chongming Dongtan Migrating Birds Reserve, the Shanghai Center for Youth Wildlife Conservation Education, and Shanghai Onway Multimedia Software & Network are all the joining forces to establish such a site. This new website has been launched on April 8, 2001 to echo the annual celebration of “National Wildlife Conservation Month.” The opening celebration of the website was held in East China Normal University. Prof. Qishan Wang- wildlife specialist in China also made a speech on the importance to save the endangered wildlife including tigers.
This is the first website written in simplified Chinese for wildlife conservation and covers the largest population in China, this website also prove to be a powerful public education tool, with special sections devoted to tiger conservation and WCS-ACCP’s TCM outreach. School children and TCM students are invited to visit the website and learn more about wildlife conservation, and to allow for more surfing the site has been linked to other conservation websites such as www.5tigers.org (for those who can read English)
4 WCS-ACCP/04/2001 and the websites of conservation organizations such as that of WCS and WWF. This new website will also to serve as an important tool for the continuation of the WCS-ACCP’s evaluation efforts. Visitors to the website are able to fill out surveys to assess their changes in attitudes.
Tiger Conservation Flyers To reach a wide range of university students, a monthly flier on tiger conservation has been prepared and distributed to four universities in Shanghai: Shanghai University of TCM, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai Normal University, and East China Normal University. Two are universities that train medical doctors; it is hoped that the message will sway the students to not prescribe medicines that contain endangered wildlife such as tiger bones in the future. The other two universities train teachers; it is hoped that the message will be transferred to their school students once the university students become teachers.
3) Building support for the tiger conservation among government officials and other influential decision makers.
In addition to working with the TCM community, school children, and the general public, support for tiger conservation must also be built among government officials and decision-makers, who have the abilities to institute and enforce conservation measures. To do this, WCS-ACCP has continued to conduct activities on several fronts, including:
1. Providing them with literature in Chinese on tiger conservation; collaborating with other organizations so that we have a strong voice for implementing change; inviting key individuals to TCM workshops and media events; and meeting with authorities to discuss new strategies for enforcing already-existing laws.
2. Sponsored by WCS, Heilongjiang Forestry Department, and USF&WS, an International Workshop to Develop a Recovery Plan for the Amur tiger in China was held in Harbin October 20-23,2000. This workshop symbolizes a milestone of tiger conservation in China. Over one hundred participants including government officials and experts from home and six other countries attended this workshop. Information on the tiger covering such wide key topics as: Survey on Tiger and Leopard Population in Jilin Province, China; Status of Tiger in Far East in Russia; Public Education on Amur Tiger Conservation etc. was collected during the course. Further action plan for the wild Amur tiger was given at the end of the workshop. An action plan in both Chinese and English were completed in January 2001, which has been submitted the Chinese government in February. Detailed information can be found in a separate report to WCS and USF&WS.
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3. On January 18, 2001, launched by WCS-ACCP, Workshop on Wild Fauna and Flora Import and Export management, and wildlife and their products identification techniques was held in East China Normal University. Over thirty participants including government officials from the State Forestry Administration, China Endangered Species Import and Export Administration, Shanghai CITES Office, and experts of WCS, ECNU, Custom office of Shanghai Pudong International Airport, attended this workshop. Dr. Zhang gave a speech on advances in identification techniques, and how to improve the identification work in Shanghai on Wildlife products. A series of other topics- status of wild fauna and flora management in China; strengthen effective supervision and crack down wildlife smuggling, etc. were given on the workshop. The latest information was exchanged on the workshop and that created opportunities of intergovernmental collaborations, as well as the collection between the government officials and wildlife specialists.
Appendix
Books, reports and prints 1. Zhang, E. & H. Zheng (ed) 2000.Conservation of Endangered Medicinal Wildlife Resources in China. Second Military Medical University Press: Shanghai. 2. Report on the Debates on Wildlife used in TCM. 3. Flyers of wildlife website (www.wildlfiewarden.net) 4. Hua, H. & Tang, J. 2000. The roar of a tiger. The Science for Juveniles. 24-32. Photos
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1. Kids love conservation posters displayed on April 8, 2000.
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2. Opening ceremony for wildlife campaign and launching wildlife website in Shanghai.
Slides: 1. Opening ceremony of a month-long wildlife conservation campaign on December 14, 2000 in Shanghai. 2. Ceremony on December 31, 2000 at Shanghai Wild Animal Park. 3. Street outlet to distribute conservation materials. 4. Debate on wildlife used in TCM, Shanghai University of TCM- Nov 1, 2000 5. Students of TCM debate on use of wildlife in TCM 6. Presenting awards to the wining team- student Debate on using wildlife in TCM 7. TCM workshop in Guiyang, March 17, 2000 8. Signing up agreement with model school masters to promote conservation 9. Model schools awarded for their excellence in conservation education, December 31, 2000.
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