Biodiv Sci ›› 2000, Vol. 08 ›› Issue (1): 112-119.  DOI: 10.17520/biods.2000016

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The effects of paying tribute to the imperial court in the history on rkinoceros' extinction and elephant's endangerment in Southern Yunnan

XU Zai-Fu   

  1. Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Mengla Country 666303
  • Received:1999-09-02 Revised:1999-06-25 Online:2000-02-20 Published:2000-02-20

Abstract: In accordance with the statistic from related historical documentst we estimated that 79~ 123 rhinoceros harns had been paid as tribute to the imperml oourts of China from southern Yunnan since the Yuan Dynasty (the 13rd certtury),The rhinoceros in the region,therefoxe,was becoming extinct during the period ofthe Qing Dynasty from the end of the 18th century to the beginnlng of the 19th century The last rhinoceros was killed in 1957 in sourhem Yunnan.Meanwhile. 1140~ 1339 elephants and 38~ 76 ivories were estimated to be paid as tribute to the imperial courts of China from Sourhern Yurman xince the Yuan Dynasty.and elephants were fallen into the situation of endangeredness in the middle of the 17th certtury Paying tribute.as a special human factort was one of the important reas0ns for the endangerment and extinction of rhinoceros and elephants AIthough rhinoceros has been extinct in southern Yunnan,it can be reintroduced in recent ecoeavlronment.