Tibet is planning to compensate local farmers and herdsmen for losses caused by wild animals, in a bid to encourage people to protect the environment better and to ease anger residents feel towards the animals as a result of such losses, Xinhua reported on Tuesday.

Zaoma Yangzong, Director of Protection under the Tibet Forestry Bureau, outlined the plan in an interview, explaining that the government is planning to establish such a fund to compensate local people for any property damage from wild animals according to a set scale.

The bureau estimates that compensation claims from farmers and herdsmen would reach about half a million yuan (US$65,000) per year.

Tibet enjoys a rich natural diversity, providing a home to 125 wild animals on China's key protection list. In recent years, wild animals have attacked both domestic animals and local people in some areas, a situation that has become a headache for residents.

Such protected animals include the brown bear, black bear, yak, snow leopard and blue sheep.

The Naqu region in northwestern Tibet often sees local residents harassed by red bears. In the southern Motuo County, bears attack cows and sheep from time to time.

Ten years ago local people did not encounter the blue sheep on grasslands above 4,000-meters, now a battle for available grass and grains has arisen between local people seeking sustenance for domestic animals and wild animals such as the blue sheep.

The world's largest natural reserve, Qiangtang in the Naqu region, suffered an accumulated loss of more than one million yuan (US$123,000) during the past decade.

The populations of local wild animals have been growing steadily over the past ten years since China adopted preservation and protection policies. The number of wild antelopes, which have Grade A protection, has reached 100,000 and the blue sheep population in the wild is now 240,000.

In the past there was no easy way to deal with the problem of economic losses suffered by local farmers and herdsmen because of wild animals, says Zaoma Yangzong, Director of Protection under the Tibetan Forestry Bureau, and this was a problem both for local governments and residents. With a new standard established for compensation, a solution would be available to address the issue.

(CRI September 7, 2005)