Nature reserves, forest parks, geo-parks or scenic areas can be found almost everywhere in China nowadays. They are the last sanctuary of the country's wildlife.

Through establishing these protected areas, improving the management on them and amending relevant laws and regulations, scientists and conservationists are saving many of the country's endangered species from extinction.

More than 90 percent of giant pandas, China's national treasure, are protected in nature reserves in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces.

Latest figures from the State Forestry Administration claim the number of wild pandas has increased from 1,100 in 1988 to more than 1,590 today, and that does not include those aged under 18 months.

Scientists are also starting to re-introduce pandas born in captivity to the wild. A special protected area has been given to the project in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

But the giant panda is not the only species under the shelter of the country's nature reserves.

In more than 1,500 natural reserves, covering at least 12.3 percent of the country's land territory, or 118 million hectares, more than 300 species of wild animal are being protected.

There are more than 1,600 forest parks, 85 national geo-parks and at least 600 scenic and historic interest areas all protecting endangered wildlife.

More than 250 wild fauna rescue and breeding bases have been set up, effectively saving yet more species from extinction.

The rare Crested Ibis is one example of success.

Once a familiar sight across east China, Japan, Russia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, this bird has hardly been seen in the wild since the 1970s because of environment changes.

It was not until 1981 that Chinese scientists happened to spot seven members of the species, then considered to be the only examples left in the world, in Shaanxi Province.

They have now managed to raise that number to 203.

The wild fauna rescue and breeding project has also increased the number of Chinese alligators from about 200 to more than 9,000, and the population of Hainan Eld's deer from 26 to around 800.

Certain laws have also gone in force to protect and manage wildlife.

In the Constitution, the State pledges to protect rare animals and plants and ban any organization from destroying or trading in them.

The pledge is reiterated in five laws governing forests, environmental protection, fisheries, grasslands and wild animals.

Other regulations and various administrative procedures have also gone in force under the State Council's auspices.

Officials with the State Forestry Administration said work was going on into amending existing laws that have been in force since 1989.

The adjustments will probably focus on the management of protected wildlife, the definition of wildlife ownership and the management of habitats beyond nature reserves.

One idea is to set up a single management system for all the reserves and co-ordinate the interests of the different departments which, after all, have the same aim.

At the moment there is a two-grade management system for key protected wild animals.

So-called "first grade" animals are handled by State administrative departments, while those at "second grade" level are protected by provincial, municipal and autonomous regional governments.

Many natural reserves are under the management of local authorities, which have to deal with the dilemma between economic development and protecting natural resources.

(China Daily October 4, 2004)