Chinese volunteers with the organizers of the China-South Africa Youth Volunteers Forum on Wildlife Conservation

By Li Jianguo

Li Li, head of the Black Panther Wildlife Protection Station, an NGO based in Beijing, shares his experience in wildlife conservation at the forum

By Li Jianguo

A South African volunteer gives a presentation on the fight against wildlife poaching

By Li Jianguo

By Lu Anqi

A forum on wildlife conservation was held on November 17, at the Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa.

Five young Chinese volunteers and their South African counterparts shared their experiences and initiatives they adopted in conserving wildlife and protecting the environment.

Sponsored by the State Forestry Administration of China and the Department of Environmental Affairs of South Africa, the China-South Africa Youth Volunteers Forum on Wildlife Conservation was the first of the kind held between the two countries, following the signing of the wildlife conservation related Implementation Plan in Pretoria by China and South Africa in March 2015.

A photo exhibition featuring more than 40 pictures of wildlife in China and Africa was held alongside the forum.

Chen Fengxue, Vice Director of the State Forestry Administration of China, and Barbara Thomson,Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs of South Africa, attended and addressed the event.

Chen said that both China and South Africa are countries boasting rich wildlife resources, and both have paid much attention to the enhancing cooperation in wildlife protection. The two countries have been working tirelessly in the fight against the illegal trade of wildlife and related products.

Chen said that the State Forestry Administration of China will continue to cooperate with South Africa and other countries and organizations concerned about the fate of wildlife, including African elephants, to jointly fight against the illegal trade of wildlife and create a sound environment for sustaining wildlife.

Barbara Thomson said that the forum is a unique opportunity for young people to exchange ideas on how conservation issues can be addressed by the youth of the two countries.

She said that the forum was very important in that it provided young people with a platform for engaging on a range of issues, from ecosystem management, climate change, species management to illegal wildlife trade.

These issues are of strategic importance to both countries and the views of the young people will certainly be useful in shaping the larger discussions taking place on the global agenda, she added.

Li Qingwen, Deputy Secretary-General of China Wildlife Conservation Association, said that the purpose of the forum was to raise awareness in young people in both countries and to join the campaign to conserve wildlife and protect the environment. The forum is a starting point for young people to explore, expand, exchange and cooperate in nature conservation in the two countries.