Cover for damages caused by wildlife

Promoting conservation efforts, individuals and companies in Chaozhou, Guangdong province, can now file claims for damage to crops and other property caused by wild animals.

Chaozhou’s forestry bureau has recently signed agreements with insurance companies to offer products to insure against such damage, reported China Green Times.

According to the bureau, the objective is to offer a safety net for possible damages that may otherwise prompt people to hurt or kill wild animals in defence of property.

The city boasts 285 terrestrial species of wild animals, and crop damage by wild boars is a particular headache. The bureau has also committed to conducting a comprehensive wildlife survey in order to better protect these species.

Chaozhou’s initiative is the latest in a series of local government efforts to ameliorate human–wildlife conflicts in different parts of the country. In 2021, Guizhou province began to pilot a compensation scheme for wildlife-induced damages. In July this year, Qinghai, a province bordering Tibet, significantly raised the amount of compensation available, according a report by China Dialogue.