(CN) A day for protecting elephants

[Guest guest]

China Daily

http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/11/content_271002.htm

Xiao Chao, China Daily staff

2003-10-11 10:14:55

 

 

Thousands of students in Beijing and Haikou of Hainan Province celebrated

World Animal Day on October 4 by participating in International Fund for

Animal Welfare's Animal Action Week, a public awareness event highlighting

the need to protect elephants.

 

The fund initiated the week 11 years ago. This is the fifth year it has been

carried out in China.

 

Students from colleges, middle schools and primary schools gathered at

Beijing's Parkson Centre and Haikou Pearl Square in Haikou of Hainan

Province to simultaneously launch opening ceremonies for the event.

 

In Beijing, a huge painting by 20 students depicting the homeland of

elephants was displayed on the ground. The youngsters expressed their desire

to protect the giant and wise - but highly endangered - elephant and its

habitat. In Haikou, thousands of people joined in signing a petition

supporting the international ban on ivory trade, a major problem in the

devastation of the giant mammal.

 

In other areas of China, the programme has provided schools with elephant

information packs and a film that is introduced by the US movie star,

Leonardo DiCaprio. The pack includes a classroom quiz, video, and elephant

games, with many other activities associated with the theme of protecting

elephants.

 

The fund's China Office has also built bridges of friendship between Beijing

schools and those in rural communities, particularly around nature

preserves. Children from big city schools have donated books on conservation

to their friends in rural schools, helping one another to jointly understand

environmental conservation.

 

" The week is now a popular activity in schools across the country thanks to

the efforts of teachers who are animal welfare and conservation advocates, "

said Zhang Li, country director of IFAW China. " It has helped bring alive

conservation education to kids. "

 

Both African and Asian elephants are facing unprecedented threats from

excessive illegal poaching, habitat losses, and, even bush meat consumption.

 

Indeed, in some central African countries, elephant trunks are served as an

expensive wild delicacy. In India, where most of the Asian elephants live,

poaching for the ivory of male elephants (only male Asian elephants have the

substance) has severely affected the population's male to female ratio. In

China, there are only 300 wild elephants.

 

Dr Meng Xianlin, deputy director general of the convention's China

Management Authority says the Chinese Government has taken a firm stand on

this issue.

 

" We will abide by the international Convention and severely punish those

that engage in illegal activities, " he said.