By Zhai Xingbo, Zhang Shanshan & Xu Zhengguo Translation by Lu Qiongyao & Zhu Yaguang Photos by Xue Yang, Liu Xiang & Yu Ming

The First Alliance of Natural Reserves in Central China

June 9, 2018 was the second “Cultural and Natural Heritage Day” in China, which was also a historic anniversary of wildlife protection in Central China. On this day,representatives from Shennongjia National Park, Duheyuan National Nature Reserve, 18-li(i.e. 9 km) Long Canyon National Nature Reserve, Badong Golden Monkey Nature Reserve, the Three Gorges Wanchaoshan Mountain Nature Reserve,Yintiaoling National Nature Reserve, and Wulipo National Nature Reserve gathered in Kande Grand Land Hotel in Muyu Town of Shennongjia and established the first alliance of nature reserves in Central China. The latter two reserves are from Chongqing City,and the other five are all from Hubei Province.

Shennongjia in Central China is the only well-preserved virgin forest ecosystem located in the middle latitudes of the Earth, and a sanctuary for rare and endangered wildlife. It was located at the mysterious latitude 31 degrees north where some other natural and human miracles are located, such as Mount Everest, the Egyptian Pyramids, the Bermuda Triangle,and Sanxingdui, all of which are full of unsolved mysteries.Shengnongjia is a paradise for golden monkeys, the home of giant pandas, and a habitat for various “albino” animals. Here reside many national first-level protected wild animals such as clouded leopards, leopards, dwarf musk deer, golden eagles, and oriental white storks, and secondlevel protected wild animals such as Mrs. Gould’s sunbird, golden pheasants, jackals, black bears,yellow-throated martens, serows,giant salamanders, Chinese luehdorfia, Carabus dovidi, and otters

Liu Qijun, director of the Administration Bureau of Shennongjia National Park,said that the aim of establishing such an alliance was to create a mechanism which was jointly shared by various protected areas in western Hubei Province and eastern Chongqing, so that a format of “joint protection” could be built while the consistency and integrity of regional ecosystems can be improved. These nature reserves share a high degree of similarity in the aspects of climatic conditions, ecological environment, biodiversity,species distribution, and cultural customs, therefore, an extra area of more than 100,000 square kilometers has now been added to the 3,000 square kilometers for wildlife activity in Shennongjia Forest Region thanks to the establishment of the Alliance.By then wild animals will be able to run as far and as fast as they please, while still enjoying the benefits of protection no matter which reserve zone they enter.As Hu Xinghuan of the Hubei Provincial Forestry Department said, this means the migration passage of golden monkeys in Shennongjia could reach as far as Yeren Valley in the North, Badong in the South, and Chongqing in the West. The Wildlife Alliance is undoubtedly great news for wildlife animals.

Su Yang, researcher from the Development Research Center of the State Council, and Zhu Chun, chief representative of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)in China, both commented that, different from those of some countries in the world,people and wildlife live together in harmony in the national parks and nature reserves in China. Facts have proved that when people in the reserve understand the importance of nature conservation, they will not threaten animals, instead, they can become good friends with wild animals.

华中第一个保护地联盟结成

2018年6月9日是我国第二个“文化和自然遗产日”，更是华中地区野生动物保护的一个历史性纪念日。神农架国家公园、重庆阴条岭国家级自然保护区、湖北堵河源国家级自然保护区、重庆五里坡国家级自然保护区、湖北十八里长峡国家级自然保护区、湖北巴东金丝猴自然保护区、湖北三峡万朝山自然保护区等7个成员单位在神农架的木鱼镇康帝君兰酒店，结成华中第一个自然保护地联盟。

中国中部地区的神农架，是地球中纬度地区唯一保存完好的原始森林生态系统和珍稀濒危动植物庇护所，与珠穆朗玛峰、埃及金字塔、百慕大三角、三星堆等自然人文奇迹同处在神秘的北纬31度，有众多未解之谜。 她是金丝猴的乐园、大熊猫的故地，是各种“白化”动物的栖息地，有云豹、金钱豹、林麝、金雕、东方白鹳等国家一级保护野生动物，还有蓝喉太阳鸟、红腹锦鸡、豺、黑熊、黄喉貂、鬣羚、大鲵、中华虎凤蝶、硕步甲和水獭等国家二级保护动物。

神农架国家公园管理局局长刘启俊说，建立自然保护地联盟，旨在创建鄂西渝东各类保护地协同共建的工作机制，努力构建“共抓大保护”格局，提高区域生态系统的连通性完整性和完整性。这一系列自然保护地在气候条件、生态环境、生物多样性、物种分布和文化风俗等方面均具有高度的相似性。这就是说，保护地联盟建立以后，野生动物的活动面积，从之前的3000多平方公里一下增加十几万平方公里，它们可以更加欢快地奔跑，无论跑到哪个保护区，都能得到共同的关爱和保护。……