For many foreigners, the large diversity of China's fauna is shrouded in mystery, with the possible exception of the giant panda, known internationally by virtue of being the logo of the World Wildlife Federation, which enjoys a high reputation and recognition.

 

 

Respect the herd: Elephants at Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve need to be admired not harassed.

 

The large-scale, highly successful and extensively published efforts by the Chinese Government to save the giant panda from extinction by establishing the Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province, as well as extensive artificial breeding experiments, have equally contributed to elevate the cuddly black and white bear to international celebrity status.

 

Before coming to China, I was totally unaware of the high degree of biodiversity of both animal and plant species in the country. Neither was I aware of the numerous protective measures instituted by the government in an attempt to conserve biodiversity and save many endangered endemic species from extinction.

 

But it wasn't until I had a chance to visit southwest China's Yunnan Province and its famous Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve, that I realized just how diverse nature in China was. The reserve was made up of tropical evergreen rainforests and tropical monsoon forests, South China tigers (mainly in south Yunnan) and "wild" elephants.

 

Prior to visiting the Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve, I had always associated the existence of these rather exotic forest beasts and vegetation with the so-called "tropical" regions found in Asia, especially Thailand and India, but certainly not China. Just shows how wrong you can be.

 

During my visit, I was told there was a good chance of being able to observe "wild" elephants in their natural environment in the so-called Elephant Valley, located within the reserve. My friend and I couldn't believe our luck when we came across the elephants enjoying their own version of the "water splashing festival" (a very famous Dai ethnic minority celebration) in the small stream flowing through the valley.

 

We considered it a distinct privilege to be able to observe the behavior of these elephants in their natural habitat, something that would definitely be a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was something I won't forget.

 

There are other parts of the visit that I would like to forget, however. The peaceful environment and the silence of the wild were soon to experience a drastic change.

 

Being the weeklong National Day holiday (October 1-7), there were a large number of visitors to the reserve. Some people wanted to take photographs up close and personal with the elephants. It wasn't a safe thing to do and they totally disregarded the warning sounds coming from the disturbed animals. Other people occasionally threw stones or yelled loudly at them, and during the night several visitors shone extremely powerful flashlights into the eyes of the animals.

 

As a result of all this irritation and mindless provocation, the bull elephant charged several times, which could have potentially developed into a very dangerous, perhaps even deadly encounter.

 

I had been really looking forward to taking more photographs the next morning, but as a result of all this annoying human behavior the elephants had eventually retreated during the night and were nowhere to be seen.

 

In their famous book A Green World Tour written by Tang Xiyang and Marcia Marks, the authors quote the following: "In Western countries people are kind to wildlife…"

 

In order to foster a comparable "spirit of the wild" in China among the general public, there will have to be a large-scale campaign of environmental education and conservation "ethics," starting at a very early age.

 

If not, the natural environment and its animals will simply become a large "outdoor zoo" rather than a source of rejuvenation and spiritual renewal.

 

The ever increasing numbers of people involved in ecotourism and visiting places like national parks, nature reserves and similar protected conservation areas in China will, without a raised sense of awareness, eventually cause the wilderness character to become progressively degraded and perhaps even destroyed.

 

We desperately need an "Elephant Code" providing a bridge of effective communication, understanding and appreciation between the natural world and people. Think of it as a type of etiquette on how to behave in the wilderness. Ultimately we all will benefit.

 

By Franz Hegmann

 

(Beijing Review December 19, 2006)