Protecting Amur Tigers and Leopards in Northeast China (WCS China)

Wildlife Conservation Society – China Program (WCS China).

Project Name: Strengthen community involvement in anti-poaching efforts by protecting Amur tigers and leopards in Northeast China.

Location: Hunchun Nature Reserve (HNR) and adjacent lands, Jilin Province, China

Goal:  Promote community participation in wildlife conservation.

Objective 1: WCS China will work with Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park (NCTLNP) to involve five community patrol teams in conservation work, with patrolling, snare removal campaigns, and public education in and surrounding their communities.

Background: WCS has been protecting Amur tigers and leopards in northeast China since 1998, where in collaboration with partners they have been progressing Amur leopard and tiger conservation in the region.

There are 100,000 people living in and around NCTLNP. The economic development of the local communities largely depends on the natural resources in the park, and these communities are also high-risk areas for poaching. Therefore, increasing protection awareness and participation of the local communities are important for the protection and restoration of the habitat of tigers and leopards. By selecting representatives from the community to form community patrol teams, and participate in protection actions such as snare removal, the link between the park and community residents is strengthened.

Community teams will also conduct public education campaigns to promote knowledge of wildlife conservation among villagers and students in the community. This is important to raise the level of awareness among residents and encourage their support of tiger and leopard conservation efforts. At the same time, they also raise the awareness of the community villagers of the importance of conservation and how to live safely with tigers and leopards.

Through the community team, awareness will be raised, the conflict between human and tiger will be mitigated, and the threat of human actions on both species will be reduced, creating a safe habitat for them all.

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