Recently, a snow leopard, a national first-class protected animal, broke into a village and attacked domestic animals in Ruoqiang County, Xinjiang, mainland China.
The snow leopard infiltrated the sheepfolds of several herders at night, killing 56 sheep and one cow.
After the incident, the police immediately evacuated the herdsmen and livestock in the surrounding area to ensure their personal safety. Subsequently, the police launched an intense search and arrest operation, and finally used a large iron cage to trap the snow leopard.
After examination, the snow leopard had no obvious external injuries and met the requirements for release into the wild. The police handed over the snow leopard to professionals, and with their help, the snow leopard was released to Etunbulak.
At the same time, in order to compensate for the herdsmen's economic losses, the police helped the herders contact the insurance company and initiated the claim process. This practice reflects the mainland's determination to protect wildlife and safeguard the interests of the public.
However, the incident sparked heated discussions online
Some netizens believe that the snow leopard took one or two sheep in order to survive, but killing so many domestic animals at one time should keep the snow leopard locked up permanently.
They questioned whether the snow leopard, as a Class I protected animal, could kill other animals at will. In response to this problem, we need to be clear that the killing of domestic animals by state-protected animals is not the same as random cruelty.
On the mainland, first-class protected animals enjoy a higher conservation status, but this does not mean that they can kill other animals unconditionally.
In fact, wild animals, under the pressure of survival, tend to attack domestic animals for food. This behavior is motivated by the need for survival, not by malicious killing.
For this situation, the mainland has corresponding laws and regulations to deal with it
If a State protects an animal and kills a domestic animal, the victim has the right to request appropriate compensation from the State. However, this compensation is not state compensation, and there is an essential difference between the two. State compensation is caused by an error in the administrative or judicial act of a state organ, which causes damage to the person concerned. Compensation for damage caused by wild animals is compensation for the losses caused to the public by wild animals in the process of survival. In order to obtain compensation for damage caused by wild animals, victims need to check the scope of compensation for damage caused by local terrestrial wildlife in the Measures for Compensation for Personal and Property Damage Caused by Terrestrial Wild Animals (Draft). Eligible victims can consult the local forestry department about the relevant compensation standards.
In this incident, the active actions of the police and government departments not only protect the wildlife, but also care about the economic losses of herders, reflecting the concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
At the same time, we should also strengthen the protection of wild animals, reduce conflicts between humans and wild animals, and jointly maintain ecological balance.