The humans failed her, badly. The 785-square-mile Wolong wildlife preserve where Han-Han lived, is still today hardly guarded; Wolong police say they don't have the time and Beijing doesn't force the issue. So on the fogbound, snowy morning of January 24, 1983, Han-Han strangled to death in a poacher's snare. The hunter-peasant carried the carcass and skin back to his hut. His wife cooked some of the meat with turnips, the peasant later said. "It did not taste good. So we fed it to the pigs."
Would it surprise you to learn the problems are all about--guess what--money? Money is indeed the root of all evil. Conservation groups have to buy their way into a country just to study a particular species. China actually has a list of the prices it charges foreigners to do this. Wildlife managers are often overmatched by corruption.
In May 1993 Adventure World Zoo in Japan obtained a pair of pandas from China, saying it would try to breed the pair. They paid $10 million for the 10-year loan. China said it would use the money for panda conservation. It was interesting that the zoo in Japan had no breeding program or experts in the field. It appeared that "the loan was mainly a commercial undertaking," according to Stuart Parkins of the World Wildlife Fund.
Beijing exerts little pressure on the provinces to cut down snares in the bamboo forests and comb the panda reserves for poachers. When Mr. Schaller emphasized the need for patrols, he was told the Wolong police were "too busy with other duties," though it was his "impression that their daily task consisted chiefly of reading newspapers and drinking tea." An animal specialist in Beijing who asked to remain anonymous reported that many local conservation officials consider a new Jeep Cherokee their top priority. "The main thing being preserved are not animals but the lifestyles of the officials." Some of the $4 million given to China for the Wolong reserve went to build a hotel and a school for the children of resident Chinese scientists.
Some food for thought: Dealers and collectors in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan pay $40,000 and up for a panda skin good for nothing but hanging on a wall.
The fight to save the panda and other endangered wildlife species is seemingly a battle that cannot be won. But thank God we have people like George Schaller, Stuart Parkins, and all the unsung heroes in wildlife conservation who refuse to wave the white flag. I'm grateful for them, as I'm sure Han-Han, Ling-Ling, and all the other gentle giants who have passed on are as well.
by The JavaScript Source