- Title Pages
- Dedication
- Foreword
- Preface Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why
- Acknowledgments
- Part One Ethics, Conservation, and Animal Protection
- 1 The Infirm Ethical Foundations of Conservation
- 2 Venturing beyond the Tyranny of Small Differences
- 3 Ecocide and the Extinction of Animal Minds
- 4 Talking about Bushmeat
- 5 Conservation, Animal Rights, and Human Welfare
- Part Two Conservation Behavior and “Enlightened Management”
- 6 Why We <i>Really</i> Don't Care about the Evidence in Evidence-Based Decision Making in Conservation (and How to Change This)
- 7 Cautionary Wildlife Tales
- 8 Coyotes, Compassionate Conservation, and Coexistence
- 9 Why Evolutionary Biology Is Important for Conservation
- 10 Reintroductions to “Ratchet Up” Public Perceptions of Biodiversity
- 11 Przewalski's Horses and Red Wolves
- 12 Why Individuals Matter
- Part Three Conservation Economics and Politics
- 13 The Imperative of Steady State Economics for Wild Animal Welfare
- 14 Conservation, Biodiversity, and Tourism in New Zealand
- Part Four Human Dimensions of Social Justice, Empathy, and Compassion for Animals and other Nature
- 15 Anthropological Perspectives on Ignoring Nature
- 16 Nature and Animals in Human Social Interactions
- 17 Conservation Social Work
- 18 The War on Nature—Turning the Tide?
- 19 Consuming Nature
- 20 Children, Animals, and Social Neuroscience
- Part Five Culture, Religion, and Spirituality
- 21 Compassionate Conservation
- 22 Explaining China's Wildlife Crisis
- 23 A Triangular Playing Field
- 24 Conservation and Its Challenges in Kenya
- 25 Is Green Religion an Oxymoron?
- 26 Avatar
- Some Closing Words
- About the Contributors
- Contributors' Contact Information
- Index
Explaining China's Wildlife Crisis
Explaining China's Wildlife Crisis
Cultural Tradition or Politics of Development
- Chapter:
- (p.317) 22 Explaining China's Wildlife Crisis
- Source:
- Ignoring Nature No More
- Author(s):
Peter J. Li
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
This chapter discusses the unprecedented exploitation and abuse of wildlife animals in China. It cites examples such as brutal farming operations that victimize tigers, bears, and fur animals; shark finning, where fishermen cut off fins and then toss the body back into the sea; and outdated enclosure design and poor management in the Chinese zoo industry. The chapter then considers the legacy of human–animal relations in Chinese culture and argues that Chinese cultural tradition does not sanction assault on wildlife animals and on nature in general. Daoism and Buddhism both call on society to respect nature and have mercy for other nonhuman lives. Confucianism also rejects excessive, unreasonable, and unplanned use of natural resources, including wildlife animals. It is not Chinese culture but the national drive for economic modernization that is responsible for the assault on Chinese wildlife.
Keywords: wild animals, animal abuse, animal cruelty, animal welfare, Chinese culture
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- Title Pages
- Dedication
- Foreword
- Preface Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why
- Acknowledgments
- Part One Ethics, Conservation, and Animal Protection
- 1 The Infirm Ethical Foundations of Conservation
- 2 Venturing beyond the Tyranny of Small Differences
- 3 Ecocide and the Extinction of Animal Minds
- 4 Talking about Bushmeat
- 5 Conservation, Animal Rights, and Human Welfare
- Part Two Conservation Behavior and “Enlightened Management”
- 6 Why We <i>Really</i> Don't Care about the Evidence in Evidence-Based Decision Making in Conservation (and How to Change This)
- 7 Cautionary Wildlife Tales
- 8 Coyotes, Compassionate Conservation, and Coexistence
- 9 Why Evolutionary Biology Is Important for Conservation
- 10 Reintroductions to “Ratchet Up” Public Perceptions of Biodiversity
- 11 Przewalski's Horses and Red Wolves
- 12 Why Individuals Matter
- Part Three Conservation Economics and Politics
- 13 The Imperative of Steady State Economics for Wild Animal Welfare
- 14 Conservation, Biodiversity, and Tourism in New Zealand
- Part Four Human Dimensions of Social Justice, Empathy, and Compassion for Animals and other Nature
- 15 Anthropological Perspectives on Ignoring Nature
- 16 Nature and Animals in Human Social Interactions
- 17 Conservation Social Work
- 18 The War on Nature—Turning the Tide?
- 19 Consuming Nature
- 20 Children, Animals, and Social Neuroscience
- Part Five Culture, Religion, and Spirituality
- 21 Compassionate Conservation
- 22 Explaining China's Wildlife Crisis
- 23 A Triangular Playing Field
- 24 Conservation and Its Challenges in Kenya
- 25 Is Green Religion an Oxymoron?
- 26 Avatar
- Some Closing Words
- About the Contributors
- Contributors' Contact Information
- Index
