China to step up protection of endangered big cats

China called for increased protection of endangered feline species ahead of World Wildlife Day, which falls on March 3. 

Siberian tigers [File photo: VCG]

In China, species such as giant pandas, crested ibis, and Tibetan antelopes that were once extremely endangered are facing less risks, but large feline species such as tigers and leopards are still endangered and need better protection.

"The numbers of giant pandas, crested ibis, and Tibetan antelopes are rising, which shows remarkable progress in protection work of wildlife," said Li Chunliang, deputy director of State Forestry Administration at a campaign for the World Wildlife Day in Guangzhou Thursday. "But due to the disturbance caused by human activities, large feline animals such as tigers and leopards face endangerment risks, and more work is needed to protect them. We will increase protection and cooperation with other countries and improve management,"

In July last year, a 1.46-million-hectare national park for the protection of the Siberian tiger and Amur leopard habitats was inaugurated in Jilin and neighboring Heilongjiang Province in northeast China. 

The park is aimed at restoring the local ecology, which has been damaged by human activity, and better protecting wild animals and their habitats. 

A national park is also being built in Qilianshan in northwest China's Qinghai Province to protect the snow leopard, a Class A protected animal in China.