To protect endangered wildlife, such as snow leopards in Angsai Village in Northwest China’s Qinghai Province and snub-nosed monkeys at Baima Snow Mountain in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, guides, tourists and photographers are required to remain at least 200 meters away from the animals in natural reserves. To balance the needs of ecological diversity and local livelihoods, eco-friendly tourism has emerged to satisfy both. Tourists in Angsai, for instance, are required to live in coed dormitories refurbished from containers, use open air toilets and observe rare species without disturbing them. In order to protect predators that attack herders’ livestock and prevent revenge attacks, foundations are established to compensate the losses. Experts warn if the boundaries between inhabitants and wildlife become fraught, human-animal tensions are likely to escalate. In addition, many herders choose to leave the pastures, seeking better education in town for their children.
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