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)
