Is China behind the threat to African wildlife?

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Is China behind the threat to African wildlife?

(People's Daily Online) 17:09, August 05, 2013

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A man carrying an elephant protection placard takes part in the "Ivory Belongs to Elephants" walk in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, June 29, 2013. (Xinhua/Meng Chenguang)

It is a well-known fact that Chinese people have a tradition of investing in precious materials to secure the value of their fortune. In the eyes of some NGOs, this tradition is one of the reasons behind the shrinking population of wild animals in Africa.

Thanks to the country’s astonishing economic growth, Chinese people’s pockets have been rapidly getting deeper over the past three decades. Soaring demand for investment opportunities has followed this growing wealth, and some claim that rare animal products have become one vehicle for investment, prompting the slaughter of elephants and rhinoceros in Africa.

“The truth is that there are many reasons for the declining numbers of wild animals in Africa. Loss of habitat is the top killer. The impact of natural disasters, poaching, and a lack of supervision are also huge factors,” explained Meng Xianlin, director of the China Management Authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES).

“Climate change and human activities are eroding the size and the population-bearing capacity of wildlife habitats,” said Zhang Wei, professor of animal product management from China’s Northeast Forestry University.

Natural disasters - drought in particular - are devastating to wild animals and in many areas of Africa they live with the threat of frequent droughts.

The severest drought in the past 60 years afflicted Eastern Africa from 2010 to 2011. Among the countries worst affected were Kenya, Ethiopia and Somali, which contain the major area for African elephants and rhinoceros.

There is also the human factor. “Most poachers in Africa are Africans,” said Meng. “Locals suffer from poverty and poaching can be a lucrative business for them. The ultimate solution is to raise their living standards and income.”

"Behind the local poachers is a complete chain in animal trafficking, and along this chain, there is often a lack of customs supervision and law enforcement,” said Zhang Xianing, a division chief from CITES.

A misunderstanding of traditional Chinese medicine also causes the misconception that wealthy Chinese are exacerbating the problem.

"In the past Chinese doctors used animal products in medical treatment. But this has become increasingly rare thanks to an enhanced awareness of animal protection and progress in artificial breeding,” said Liu Zhanglin, deputy president of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products.

"A strict system has been established for wild animal protection, and well-regulated artificial breeding is able to meet the demand for medicinal products from animals,” Liu added.

The use of tiger bone and rhinoceros horn as medicines has been banned in China since 1993, when an array of laws and regulations were also passed to protect the wildlife which used to be considered as medicinal resources.