As an umbrella species, big cats are indicators of ecosystem health. However, for years these species have faced multiple threats around the world and their populations have declined to the edge of extinction. With the devastating biodiversity and climate crises, people are increasingly aware of the significance of protecting diverse species, including big cats. In response, big cat range states have taken various in-country and cross-region conservation actions consistent with the features, habits and habitat conditions of different big cats. China is home for Amur tigers and leopards. The country is dedicated to building a national park—China’s Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park—in its protected-area system to protect those species.
NRDC works to protect endangered species, ecosystems and biodiversity around the world. In China, NRDC advises on national park management policies, helps build park management capacity, and seeks solutions on green transformation of communities within the park to ensure harmonious coexistence between humans and tigers. Through research, training and education, NRDC supports the development of China’s Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park.
The world faces shared threats and challenges in big cat conservation. Therefore, many experiences and lessons on conservation strategies can be shared among countries. In order to better support the development of China’s Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park, NRDC compiled “Tiger National Park Conservation and Management Policy in India” and facilitated a field visit to Costa Rica for park policy makers from the China National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park administration to learn first-hand park management and jaguar conservation practices. On Global Tiger Day 2019, NRDC invited the manager of a national park in Costa Rica and field jaguar conservation scientist to share his knowledge at the International Conference on Tiger and Leopard Cross-border Protection, which NRDC co-organized with the National Forestry and Grass Administration, and the first Park Manager Training Workshop in the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park, which NRDC co-organized with the Park Administration. Based on the feedback collected from those events, NRDC invited Dr. Leandro Silveira from Jaguar Conservation Fund, to analyze and summarize the best practices and lessons learned on cross-regional jaguar conservation in selected American countries and developed this report as a reference for China’s Northeast Tiger & Leopard National Park.
The Jaguar is the iconic species across most of the American continent with cultural and ecological significance. Although there are differences in geographical environment, population and economic development among those range states, the practices and lessons learned from these countries, in habitat protection and connectivity, balancing of protection and development, human and jaguar conflict management and International conservation cooperation, are worth sharing with countries who are facing similar challenges to tailor-make their own big cats conservation and national park management strategies. The report studied 5 cases to discuss the role protected-areas or national parks play in protecting jaguars, and assessed the effectiveness of cross-border conservation cooperation, eco-tourism, ecological compensation schemes, community engagement and large-scale landscape protection plans, highlighting some effective conservation measures.
Click here to download the report summary. The summary is available in Chinese only.
To view the full report, please contact: nature@nrdc-china.org
