Conflicts of animals with humans addressed

XINING - Last month a rampaging brown bear went on a spree and killed a herdsman named Kunga in Sanjiangyuan National Park in Qinghai province.

Within 15 days of Kunga's death, China Pacific Property Insurance paid his family 300,000 yuan ($44,700) - a considerable sum, as the average family income in the mountainous region is around 20,000 yuan per year.

It was the first loss of life to be covered by commercial insurance in the national park's efforts to address human-animal conflicts. The park is home to 270 species of vertebrates, of which 69 are under State protection.