"Over the past 100 years, species extinction under human intervention is 1,000 times faster than the natural rate.” On 23rd, April, Yue Lei, Senior Vice-President of Sanpower Group and Ambassador of United for Wildlife (UfW), led nearly a hundred volunteers of Sanpower into Tonglu County, Zhejiang Province, and conducted a two-day charity event. At the Wildlife Protection Info Session on 24th April, themed by “Everything Has a Spirit and Show Respect for Every Life”, he urged everyone to take the initiative to contribute their own strength to protecting wild animals. Mark Logan, Head of the British Consulate Press Office stationed in Shanghai, and Wu Jinfu, Deputy County Mayor of Tonglu County were in attendance. The session also attracted nearly a hundred students and local people.

 

  

 

It is known that Tonglu is the “World Health Base” recognised by the United Nations. It has abundant natural resources, and in the Tonglu Tianzidi Ecological Scenic Spot alone there are over 800 kinds of wild animals, including pangolins, wild forest turtles and other national and provincial protected animals. The pangolin is a UfW rare species in need of special attention, and this was one of the reasons why Yue Lei chose Tianzidi to conduct the Sanpower charity event.

"Sanpower Group has been devoted to charity for over 20 years since its establishment. Over the course of years it has accumulatively donated more than 300 million yuan in terms of earthquake relief, poverty relief and health and education.” Yue Lei explained that as the Group speeds up its outward pace, it is planning to make its businesses and philanthropic efforts global, with wildlife protection as its top priority in charity internationalisation. The Wildlife Protection Foundation, co-launched by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Chairman of Sanpower Group Yuan Yafei, was formally initiated in October 2015. In March 2016, Yue Lei became the first Chinese Ambassador appointed by Prince William to advance wildlife protection causes worldwide together with Prince William, Prince Harry, David Beckham and other international celebrities.

Yue Lei noted that wild fauna and flora are an important part of the earth’s ecology and an important basis for human survival. But considering the current situation, a crisis has quietly emerged; that is, the illegal trade in wildlife has become the fourth largest illegal trade in the world after drugs, ammunition and human trafficking. “Pinguinus impennis, ectopistes migratorius, equus quagga, panthera tigris balica and other species have become extinct.” Yue Lei said that according to authoritative data, at present, 1/4 of mammals, over 1,200 kinds of birds, and more than 30,000 kinds of plants are extinction crises. “As Prince William said in the Buckingham Palace Declaration, if we fail to turn the scale in five years, we’ll lose this fight forever.”

 

 

 

Yue Lei elaborated upon the urgency and importance of the crises and challenges global wildlife protection is facing at present, the current situation of wildlife protection in China, and the actions of Sanpower in this field. He hoped that related departments of the government can enhance law enforcement and expand publicity for laws to continuously improve the public awareness of the responsibility of wildlife protection. At the same time, he expected all social forces to actively participate in and work together to protect humanity’s beautiful home and green wealth.

Mark Logan, Press Office Head of British Consulate General in Shanghai believes that, as a Chinese private enterprise that invests and develops in Britain, Sanpower Group not only makes contributions to Sino-UK trade ties, but also actively promotes the public forces of the two countries to jointly participate in the cause for wildlife protection. The event is a new achievement in international charity cooperation, and he hoped to witness more forces for charity in China joining the ranks of wildlife protection in the future.

Student representatives of the Tonglu Institute of Tourism presented flowers to Yue Lei and they said they were greatly benefited by listening to the info session made by the “international charity guru”, and local participants said that they will set themselves up as an example in the future, taking active actions and mobilising the local people to become the guardians of wild fauna and flora.