Laohu'nao Nature Reserve

Laohu'nao Nature Reserve

The Laohu'nao Nature Reserve in Le'an County was established to protect the South China tiger. Located in Jinzhu Township and Gugang Township, it borders the Yihuang South China Tiger Provincial Nature Reserve to the east and Ningdu and Yongfeng counties to the south, with altitudes ranging from 800 to 1,300 meters. The low mountain summits are connected by shrub-grassland, making it an ideal habitat for the South China tiger (according to the Le'an County Annals from the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, "...among wild beasts are tigers, leopards, deer, foxes, raccoons, porcupines, wild boars, and native martens...").

The total area of the Laohu'nao Nature Reserve is 22,000 hectares, spanning four townships: Jinzhu, Gugang, Zhaoxie, and Nancun.

The reserve preserves relatively intact natural forest ecosystems and diverse natural landscapes, including precious plants such as yew, torreya, and red-flowered camellia, as well as rare wild animals like clouded leopards, serows, masked palm civets, sambar deer, river deer, and tufted deer.

In December 2001, Chinese and foreign experts discovered South China tiger resting sites and tiger hair in the area.

Recently, among the eight newly approved provincial nature reserves by the Jiangxi Provincial Government, the Le'an Laohu'nao Nature Reserve was included.

According to experts from the county's forestry department, the establishment of the Laohu'nao Nature Reserve is of great significance for rescuing endangered species such as the South China tiger and clouded leopard, increasing biological resources, improving the natural environment, and preserving biodiversity.

Gugang Township: Gugang Township is located in the southeastern part of Le'an County, bordering Yihuang County to the east, Jinzhu She Ethnic Township to the south, Nancun Township to the west, and Aoxi Town and Shishan Town of Chongren County to the north. It was named a "Province-level Ecologically Beautiful Township" in Jiangxi in 2011. The township is belt-shaped, with a maximum east-west distance of 13 kilometers and a maximum north-south distance of 26.5 kilometers, covering a total area of 161.2 square kilometers. The arable land area is 1,392.2 hectares, and the forested mountain area is 14,254 hectares. The population density is 100 people per square kilometer.

The township government is located in Gugang Street, 26 kilometers from the county seat. The area includes a middle school, central primary school... More details about Gugang Township++