Endangered Animals of China

China is vastly rich in biological resources. It is home to a large variety of animal species. But, many animal species are endangered due to habitat loss. Population explosion, rapid development work, industrialization, and other factors have contributed to endanger animals of China.

Human habitats are expanding at an alarmingly high rate, which have threatened the existence of many endangered animals. Growth of large cities, rapid industrialization, mining and oil explorations, deforestation of large tracts of land for cultivation and pastures, and an indiscriminate use of pesticides and herbicides have resulted in the destruction of food sources and habitat loss for the endangered animals. Moreover, pollution and climate change due to global warming have made the existence of endangered animals difficult.

Poaching of endangered animals for their body parts is a great threat for their survival. Tigers are widely poached for their bones, which are used in making traditional Chinese medicines. Musk deer and bears are illegally hunted for their hides, which have a great demand in the international market.

According to the red list of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), more than 385 animal species are endangered in China. Giant Pandas, which are a native of China, have lost half of their habitat. This has significantly reduced the numbers of endangered Giant Pandas, which were once found in abundance. Moreover, only 90 tigers are reported to be alive in the wild in China.

The list of endangered animals of China is long. It includes Giant Panda, Red Panda, Northern Right Whale, parti-colored flying squirrel, Snow leopard, Yunnan snub-nosed monkey, Golden monkey, Asian elephant, South China tiger, Siberian tiger, Crested Ibis, Dugong, black Gibbon, Capped leaf monkey, and the Tibetan antelope.

The list of endangered animals of China also includes Gray snub-nosed monkey, Hainan gymnure, Hoolock Gibbon, Koslov's pika, long-eared Jerboa, inquisitive shrew-mole, Saunders' gull, black-necked Crane, Complex-toothed flying squirrel, Chinese shrew-mole, Chinese dormouse, dwarf blue Sheep, greater stripe-backed shrew, long-tailed birch mouse, Yangtze River dolphin, and many lesser known species.

Conservation of endangered animals in China has been undertaken by many wildlife organizations. With an active support from the government of China, over 1,000 species of endangered animals have been recovered from their endangered position in the Mekong area. Improved habitat protection of the endangered animals along with an effective check on poaching will ensure to control the declining numbers of endangered animals in China.

The conservation of endangered animals is questioned by many environmentalists. Serious problems of inbreeding, population dispersal, and habit conservation and recovery of the endangered animals have raised doubts on the efficacy of the methods of conservation.

The loss of endangered animals will have severe effect on the ecosystem as all the animals from the mighty tigers to the tiniest bee play an important role in food chain. An imbalance in the food chain will endanger the whole ecosystem. It is, therefore, important to conserve the endangered animals in the interest of human beings. The government of China has taken effective measures to protect the endangered animals from becoming extinct.