Global Environment Facility on International Forum on Conservation of Amur Tigers and Amur Leopards is taking place in Harbin, capital city of Heilongjiang province from Oct 24 to 25. It calls for deepening cooperation on cross-border protection of Amur tigers and leopards, and improving their living environment.

Around 130 experts and scholars from China, Russia, Australia and India were invited to attend the forum.

Achievements and experience on protecting wild animals were shared at the forum. Also, measures on improving fragmented habitats of Amur tigers and leopards, establishing wildlife damage compensation mechanism and wildlife national parks, and reducing human-animal conflicts were proposed.

Professor Jiang Guangshun from the Felines Research Center of State Forestry Administration of China delivered a speech at the forum, noting that China and Russia have made great efforts to create an environment where Amur tigers can move freely across the border between the two countries, since signing of the China-Russia Cooperation Agreement on Cross-border Protection of Amur tigers and Amur leopards in 2010.

Field habitats for Amur tigers and leopards neighboring Russia’s Baodi Park were established, covering an area of 1.49 million hectares, providing an ideal living environment for Amur tigers and leopards living in the areas around the China-Russia border.

In the future, Jiang suggested, the two sides should deepen cooperation on establishing ecological corridors and expand protected habitats in Changbai Mountains, the Greater Khingan Range and the Lesser Khingan Mountains.

Global Environment Facility on International Forum on Conservation of Amur Tiger and Amur Leopard takes place in Harbin, capital city of Heilongjiang province on Oct 24. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

 Around 130 experts and scholars in the field of wildlife protection attend Global Environment Facility on International Forum on Conservation of Amur Tiger and Amur Leopard held in Harbin, capital city of Heilongjiang province on Oct 24. [Photo/Chinanews.com]