(CN) Fund eases clash over elephants

[Guest guest]

China Daily http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2001-07-30/23117.html

by ZHANG FENG

07/30/2001

 

New efforts have been made by the International Fund for Animal Welfare

(IFAW), in conjunction with local governments and residents, to protect the

wild Asian elephants in Simao Region, Southwest China's Yunnan Province.

In 1996, five wild elephants began to settle down in the mountainous regions

of Simao.

 

However, since then, serious conflicts between elephants and villagers have

occurred.

 

The elephants are believed to be from the Xishuangbanna tropical rain

forestry regions, only 70 kilometres away from Simao, where most of China's

wild elephants - less than 300 - are living now.

 

These mammals, protected by the State, have killed and injured villagers, as

well as eaten and destroyed crops, such as rice and fruits planted by

poverty-stricken farmers.

 

Their activities have covered a mountainous area of 35 square kilometres,

where dozens of villages are located.

 

Official statistics show the annual loss caused by the elephants has reached

3 million yuan (US$361,000).

 

The death-toll by the elephants has reached five, and they have injured more

than 10 people who did not keep a safe distance when trying to get them off

their farmland.

 

Angry farmers say they will no longer tolerate the problem.

 

In addition, the financial compensation given by local governments to the

farmers is far from adequate.

 

Due to this heightening conflict, IFAW has become involved.

 

More than 142,000 yuan (US$ 17,000) will be donated by the Fund this month

to the Asian Elephant Project, launched by the Fund in July 2000.

 

The project aims to improve the villagers' tolerance of elephant-related

damages and to alleviate any conflicts between them and elephants by

assisting the villagers in a programme of economic development.

 

Ge Gabriel, an official with IFAW, said the project also aimed to promote

the protection of animals and their habitats through educational activities.

 

Up to now, more than 164,000 yuan (US$20,000) has been donated to several

pilot communities in the region.

 

The money has become a loan foundation, operated by beneficiary groups made

up of the villagers who could loan money from the foundation to help

themselves develop economy.

 

Although the destruction by the elephants continues, farmers' tolerance and

environmental awareness in the pilot sites have been greatly enhanced

through the smooth operation of the project, Ge Gabriel said at the

middle-term evaluation symposium held by the fund in the region last week.

 

Ge said the total funding of the three-year project would be a minimum of

1.1 million yuan (US$ 130,000).

 

At the same time, various educational activities, such as environmental

protection and agricultural technology promotion training, have been carried

out in the past year.

 

Zhang Li, programme official of the Fund, said the additional money will be

used to help more villagers improve farming technology and develop various

economies, such as planting selective crops to feed more pigs, chickens and

other animals.

 

However, Zhang said the project is only short-term - a pilot method which

only passively pacifies the conflicts by increasing farmers' income and

teaching them to become more tolerant of the elephants.

 

Zhang said more effective work, such as establishing a natural reserve for

elephants in the region, should be done.