- In Northeast China’s Tiger and Leopard National Park (NCTLNP), snares pose a significant danger to Amur tigers and leopards, with an estimated 54 tigers and 34 leopards at risk from these indiscriminate traps.
- The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has been training local villagers to form patrol teams across seven villages to identify and remove snares, covering over 1,373 km of forest and removing 173 snares in 2023.
- With the support of WildCats Conservation Alliance, patrols expanded in 2024, with new teams from Hongqihe and Lihua villages.
Map of the Tiger and Leopard National Park (NCTLNP) ©WCS China
Spanning around 5,000 square kilometres, Northeast China’s Tiger and Leopard National Park (NCTLNP) is home to an estimated 54 Amur tigers and 34 Amur leopards. But these big cats face a daily battle for survival due to poaching, with snares being a particular menace. These rudimentary wire traps, often intended for smaller game, can indiscriminately capture and kill large predators like tigers and leopards, critically endangering populations already at risk. In response, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has partnered with the NCTLNP administration and the Hunchun Municipal Forestry Bureau (HMFB) to empower local communities to play a key role in conservation.
Snare found in Northeast China ©WCS China
Community Patrols: A Grassroots Solution
Recognising the power of community engagement, WildCats implementing partner, WCS China, has been working since 2021 to establish community patrol teams across seven villages in and around the park. These teams, made up of local villagers, are trained to patrol forested areas, identify illegal snares, and dismantle them before they harm wildlife.
In 2023, the patrol teams covered 1,373 kilometres of forest and removed 173 snares. So far in 2025, these patrols have continued, with two new communities selected after carefully reviewing candidate villages to expand the program.
Photos taken during community patrols. A community ranger removes a snare. ©WCS China
Expanding Community Patrols
Each snare removed is potentially saving a life, so recruiting more villages into the community patrol program is crucial for expanding the reach of these efforts.
In 2023, the village of Lihua, situated near the national park, became part of the patrol programme. The next year, after conducting a community survey, Hongqihe—located in the core area of Amur tiger and leopard habitat—was identified as a strategic site for establishing another community patrol team.
Community members from these villages have received training in patrolling techniques, including how to recognise signs of poaching, use GPS for navigation, and report their patrol activities accurately, enabling them to actively contribute to the protection of their local wildlife.
These additional communities have since completed 25 daily patrols removing 10 large snares throughout 138 kilometres in the first half of 2024.
Community ranger training and assessment in the village of Hongqihe. © WCS China
Measure of Success
To measure the broader impact of its community patrol programme, WCS has also been tracking changes in conservation knowledge, attitudes, and practices among villagers.
A preliminary survey was conducted in both Hongqihe and Lihua villages to serve as a baseline to gauge the impact of future conservation outreach and education. This baseline can be used to measure annual progress, evaluating how the patrol team has influenced local attitudes since its formation.
With support from WildCats, WCS plans to continue expanding the patrols throughout 2024. Joint patrols are scheduled for later in the year, with plans to assess the impact of community involvement in protecting wildlife. Public education campaigns are also set to continue, to further reduce the prevalence of snares and illegal hunting.
While snares remain a critical threat, the efforts of local villagers to remove them offer hope for the survival of Amur tigers and leopards in Northeast China.
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