In 2008 world attention was on China during the Olympics and, thanks to the excellent BBC series Wild China, people's attention was also on the country's wildlife. For those that work in conservation the importance of China, in terms of the species it supports and the challenges it presents, have been known since the late 1980s when the country opened up to non-Chinese scientists. The recent economic growth of China, with its associated increased demand for natural resources and wildlife-derived products, means that the global conservation challenge that China represents has never been bigger. It is opportune then that Richard Harris has written an excellent book that provides a good introduction to wildlife conservation in China, drawing on his 20 years' experience of working in the country.
Although the book does an excellent job of setting the conservation scene in China it is really, as the subtitle suggests, a book about western China. The book is well written in an easy to read style and is illustrated with some nice photos. I personally would have preferred to have them scattered through the text rather than in a single block in the middle of the book but this doesn't affect the book's readability or appeal.
The book starts off by setting the biological, geographical and political landscape of the region and this should be essential reading for anyone (Chinese and non-Chinese alike) starting a career in conservation or undertaking wildlife research in the country. Of particular interest for me (as a bunny-hugging Westerner) is the chapter on The Chinese Perceptions of Wildlife. An understanding of the linguistic, cultural and religious reasons for the nation's perception of wildlife and how it can be utilized is fundamental for anyone wishing to work within the field of conservation and influence the way it is undertaken. The range of information contained within this chapter alone is extensive and should be essential reading. I very much enjoyed the section of the book that provides the species stories, and the cameos of selected species is an interesting read. The book has a very interesting chapter on the controversial subject of trophy hunting and concludes with a look into the crystal ball to assess the future for wildlife in western China.
In addition to the text, which I guess I have made clear is an interesting read, there are just over 100 pages of supporting information in the form of an appendix, notes on each chapter, and about 50 pages of references, a valuable resource in itself. This does make one wonder, however, whether it is a bit over the top for 30% of a 341-page book to be made up of such information.
All in all this is a very good book that I enjoyed reading and learning from. I have heard rumours that a Chinese version is under preparation and if true I hope that it is widely read within China.
