"Last year, some of our field researchers were chased for over 2 kilometers by a pack of dholes. Both dholes and brown bears are known to attack humans on sight," said another official from the reserve's management center.

Guo acknowledged that locals have to rely on more primitive means to protect themselves.

"In the Yanchiwan National Nature Reserve, electronic fences have been placed around villagers' homes that sound an alarm to scare off wildlife when detected. However, most residents don't have access to such advanced technology yet," Guo said. "For now, they can only rely on setting off firecrackers to drive the animals away."

The relationship between humans and animals remains a complex and ongoing conversation.

"Every species exists for a reason and has its place in the ecosystem," Ma said. "We can't simply judge a species based on its impact on human society. Often, it's the numbers, distribution, or structure of a species that pose challenges, not the species itself."

Contact the writers at xunuo@chinadaily.com.cn

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