Natural harmony! The number of black bears is gradually increasing, and everyone is sharing the protection of green mountains and rivers

CCTV News: Black bears are a second level protected animal in China, inhabiting mountainous forests and mainly distributed in provinces such as southwest, northwest, and northeast. In the 1970s and 1990s, due to poaching and human activities causing habitat destruction, the number of black bears in China and globally sharply decreased. In 2016, they were listed as vulnerable species by the World Conservation Union. In the Duheyuan National Nature Reserve in Hubei Province, with the increasing efforts in ecological protection, the number of black bears has been increasing year by year.

This is an image of multiple black bears captured by an infrared camera in the Duheyuan National Nature Reserve. Zheng Dede is the chief engineer of the Duheyuan National Nature Reserve in Hubei. In 2009, the Duheyuan Nature Reserve captured the first image of a black bear, and he was very excited.

Zheng Dede told reporters that only one was photographed throughout the year. In recent years, with the increasing efforts in ecological protection of the blocked river source, the number of black bears has gradually increased.

Following the staff and local villagers, shortly after entering the Duheyuan Nature Reserve, the reporter discovered the trail of black bears preying on ants.

In order to forage, black bears often climb tall chestnut trees. For a comfortable feeding experience, a bench was also built with branches.

In the protected area, journalists and staff also found bear nests that are not easily discovered.

On one side of this bear den is a mountain ditch several tens of meters deep, while on the other side is a food rich plain. This is not only convenient for black bears to feed, but also beneficial for them to observe the surrounding situation and escape in a timely manner in case of danger.

The increase in the number of black bears has to some extent maintained ecological balance

As a fierce beast, what role does black bear play in the entire food chain?

Mao Mei is a plant in the Rosaceae family, with sweet and sour fruits. It is a berry that black bears love to eat.

Maomei occupies a very important position in the entire ecology of the Duheyuan Nature Reserve. It plays an important role in improving the ecological environment and reducing soil erosion. Zheng Dede told reporters that the seeds of Mao Mei cannot be digested by animals. Due to the large appetite and long transmission distance of black bears, the growth range of the entire population of Mao Mei in the Duheyuan Nature Reserve has been expanded to a certain extent.

Black bears are omnivorous animals and are at the top of the food chain in the Duheyuan Nature Reserve. In recent years, with the increase in the number of black bears, the ecological balance of the animal kingdom has been maintained to a certain extent.

Actively "reconcile" the contradictions between animals such as black bears and humans

In the Duheyuan National Nature Reserve in Hubei Province, the population of black bears and other animals has been increasing year by year, which has also had a significant impact on the production and life of local residents. How to solve the contradiction between animals and the people?

In the Duheyuan National Nature Reserve in Hubei Province, it is common for black bears to sneak down the mountain and steal agricultural products such as crops and honey from the people. The reporter saw through a video provided by a local villager that in the evening of 2018, an adult black bear came to a beehive placement site. The black bear pushed down a beehive to feed on honey and took a few bites of honey.

In recent years, people's awareness of ecological protection has increased, and the phenomenon of indiscriminate hunting and hunting has basically not occurred again.

To reconcile the conflicts between black bears and other animals and the people, the Duheyuan Nature Reserve has implemented a wildlife damage compensation policy and established a long-term commercial compensation mechanism.

In 2023, Zhushan County, where the nature reserve is located, purchased wildlife damage insurance for all cultivated land within the Duheyuan Nature Reserve at a standard of 2 million yuan per year.

At the same time, in order to reduce interference with animals and protect the ecological environment, the Duheyuan Nature Reserve has raised 130 million yuan in funds and implemented ecological migration and relocation within the reserve.

As of now, a total of 656 households and 2713 people have been moved out of the core area and buffer zone of the Duheyuan Nature Reserve. The Duheyuan Nature Reserve has also achieved full coverage of ecological forest compensation, with an annual compensation fund of over 9 million yuan. As long as villagers are responsible for ensuring that there is no illegal logging, fire, or poaching within the ecological forest area, they can receive corresponding subsidies.

Natural Harmony, Shared by All Members, Green Waters and Green Mountains

In recent years, with the increase of protection efforts, the ecology of the Duheyuan National Nature Reserve in Hubei has improved, benefiting not only animals but also the people. Here, green mountains and clear waters have turned into mountains of gold and silver.

In order to turn good ecology into economic benefits, the Duheyuan National Nature Reserve in Hubei Province actively guides farmers to develop green industries by utilizing ecological location advantages, cultivating more than 500 beekeeping households and increasing farmers' income by more than 3 million yuan.

Dong Cuntang told reporters that in good times, his family's honey can earn 60000 to 70000 yuan per year. Not only that, the local area has also vigorously developed ecotourism, using the good mountains and water to attract more people.

According to statistics, the tourism industry revenue in Zhushan County, the administrative jurisdiction of Hubei Duheyuan National Nature Reserve, has been continuously increasing in recent years. From January to July 2023, we received 9.6833 million tourists and generated a comprehensive tourism revenue of over 3 billion yuan.