Strategies for Advancing Biodiversity Conservation: A case of Human-Elephant Conflict in Yunnan, China

Abstract

The core of biodiversity conservation is to rebuild the harmonious relationship between humans and wildlife, ensure sustainable development and protect the safety of humans and wildlife. The collective northward movement of wild elephants in Yunnan, China, which attracted worldwide attention in 2021, caused damage to crops, destroyed houses in the wild Asian elephants throughout the region, and put forward new challenges to biodiversity protection. We should think about how to balance the relationship between human beings and wild animals. Based on this incident and through field interviews, this paper dialogues with the staff and villagers involved in this incident and profoundly understands the problems faced in the conflict between human beings and wild Asian elephants. The research shows that the main problems are weak financial capacity, weak emergency culture, shortage of emergency personnel, lack of emergency facilities, lack of mass participation, and poor tolerance for wild elephants. It is found that these problems challenge the construction of ecological civilization. This study reveals how to explore the path of biodiversity construction through macro, meso, and micro levels, to put biodiversity protection on the right track.