The Chinese government is to earmark 11.2 million yuan (US$1.3
million) in the next two years to protect its endangered reindeer,
the forestry administration of north China's
Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region has announced.
The rare species is listed as China's main protection priority with
around 700 surviving in an Ewenki
ethnic tribe village deep in the Greater Khingan Mountain
Range.
China has included the Ewenki breeding area in the state forestry
wildlife protection and natural reserve list. So far, 500,000 yuan
(US$12,048) of early-stage fund has been in place for the
protection.
"Protecting the reindeer is protecting a unique ethnic tribe," said
ethnologist Kong Fanzhi, "because the reindeer serves not only as
the tribe's most valuable means of production and daily life, but
as a pillar of their tribal spirit and culture."
In
China, only the 100-member-plus tribe are raising reindeer which
they have used for transport for about 100 years.
However, the reindeer's numbers have been falling in recent years
because of inbreeding and attacks from predators.
China is intending to raise its reindeer population to more than
3,000 within 10 years through the protection of their habitat and
breeding.
(Xinhua News Agency February 6, 2003)