HAIKOU /China/, May 27. /TASS/. The National Forestry and Grassland Administration of the People's Republic of China is going to establish a center for the protection and study of endangered animal species in the near future. The Hainan Daily newspaper reported that this structure will be engaged in the protection of gibbons living on Hainan Island.
"Our department plans to establish a research center for the conservation of endangered species such as the Hainan gibbon," the newspaper quoted Yan Zhen, deputy head of the department, as saying. "We are going to intensify research and strengthen international cooperation in this field."
The official said that the new center will implement major projects to protect biodiversity. He noted that the new center will also involve the public in wildlife protection activities.
According to Hainan Daily, which refers to official data, Chinese authorities have effectively protected up to 90% of the national terrestrial ecosystem. The population of Asian elephants is gradually increasing in the southwestern province of Yunnan. The number of pangolins, which were almost completely extinct not so long ago, is growing in China. The government's long-standing efforts have also finally removed the big panda from the endangered species category and placed it in the "vulnerable animals" category.
Hainan plays an important role in international efforts to conserve biodiversity on our planet. It is also considered one of the regions in the PRC with the richest flora and fauna. Over the past few years, the administration of China's southernmost province has revised and issued more than 20 laws and regulations to safeguard protected areas, forests, mangroves, corals and shellfish. In January, the local government released a plan to protect the island's animals and plants by 2030, a move that is expected to be a major boost to the implementation of comprehensive measures in this regard.