China has put over 80 percent of its endangered wild animals under protection in their natural habitats when nearly 70 million yuan (US$8.46 million) has been made in the establishment of 600 nature reserves across the country.

The State Forestry Administration launched a national project on wildlife protection a few years ago, with priority given to protecting 13 endangered wild animal species, including panda, redibis, golden monkey, Chinese alligator, and gibbon, according to Guangming Daily.

Statistics show that the total number, both wild and artificial, of red ibis reached 560 in 2003, a rise of 35 percent over the previous year. Chinese alligators grew to 10,000 in total number from the previous 200, and some of them have returned to nature in Anhui Province, east China.

Some 156 species of China's endangered animals and plants are among the world's 640 endangered species listed in the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Due to insufficient resources, destruction of the natural habitat of wild species and illicit poaching, China could lose 15 to 20 percent of its species of animals and plants, higher than the world level of 10-15 percent, according to statistics of the State Forestry Administration.

(Xinhua News Agency January 22, 2004)