To enhance wildlife conservation management efficiency, mitigate human-wildlife conflicts, foster public participation in wildlife conservation, and consolidate recent conservation achievements, the Hunchun Municipal Government and the Hunchun Branch of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park (NCTLNP) Administration organized the Hunchun City 2024 Joint Habitat Conservation Special Action and the First Community Patroller Competition Event on December 6, 2024. The Hunchun Municipal Forestry Bureau organized the event, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (US) Beijing Representative Office (WCS) served as a co-organizer.
The launch ceremony was attended by leaders and experts from the NCTLNP Administration; the Hunchun, Yanbian, Mudanjiang, Wangqing, and Suyuan branches; the Jilin Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau; the Yanbian Prefecture Forestry and Grassland Bureau; the Hunchun Municipal Government; Beijing Forestry University; WCS; the Yanbian Prefecture Wildlife Conservation Association; the Hunchun Municipal Wildlife Conservation Association; and some towns and villages.
After the launch ceremony, a symposium on preventing human-wildlife conflict took place. Wang Aimin, the Chief Representative of WCS China, chaired the symposium. Dr. Zhai Bo from Beijing Forestry University presented a report on human-wildlife conflict. Participants then discussed ways to avoid such conflicts and offered feasible suggestions.
The Patroller Competition kicked off during this period, with a total of ten community patrol teams and forty patrollers participating in the event. The competition consisted of two phases: a written exam and a field competition. These phases showcased the skills and professionalism of community patrollers from NCTLNP. Leaders and managers from the park administration and its various branches observed the field competitions and indoor contests and expressed full affirmation of the community patrol model.
Ultimately, Hulutougou Village in Chunhua Town took first place in the team competition of Hunchun's first patrol competition. Lanjia and Lihua Villages, both in Chunhua Town, took second place. Third place went to Zhongtumenzi Village in Chunhua Town, Liuting Village and Banshi Village in Banshi Town.
2024 marks the fourth year of WCS's participation in community engagement in NCTLNP. In April 2021, WCS partnered with the Hunchun City Bureau of NCTLNP to launch the inaugural community anti-poaching pilot project in Zhongtumenzi Village, Chunhua Town, Hunchun City. This initiative established the "Hunchun Community Co-management Team 1" of NCTLNP. By 2022, the program had grown to include five teams; by 2023, it had grown to seven; and by 2024, it had grown to ten. Results over the years have shown that establishing community patrol teams effectively safeguards tiger and leopard habitats in surrounding forest areas while enhancing community participation in conservation efforts. The community patrol officer competition serves two purposes: first, it assesses the skills and capabilities of the teams, and second, it provides an excellent opportunity for the teams to exchange ideas and learn from one another.
In recent years, WCS has continuously improved and explored community-based conservation mechanisms. Our focus has been on encouraging local people to actively participate in conservation and respond to environmental issues on their own. We hope to promote the community-based conservation mechanism in Hunchun to other branches of NCTLNP and to other national parks in China. Ultimately, we hope it will become a model for the world to learn from.
