Zhejiang province has steadily upgraded its protection of wildlife and plant resources over the past two decades, building a comprehensive system that combines habitat conservation, scientific monitoring, and species recovery.

The province has established 316 protected areas and released a list of 28 key terrestrial wildlife habitats. Hangzhou and Wenzhou have both been designated as International Wetland Cities, reflecting progress in wetland protection and sustainable management.

Zhejiang was among the first in the country to carry out county-level baseline surveys of wildlife and plant resources. It has implemented targeted monitoring programs for key species and has conducted synchronized surveys of overwintering waterbirds across the province for nine consecutive years, improving understanding of population trends and ecological changes.

Current records show that Zhejiang is home to 907 species of terrestrial wild vertebrates, including 218 species under national key protection. The province has documented 6,975 species of higher plants, of which 5,672 are wild species, including 120 species of nationally protected wild plants.

Species conservation efforts have focused on population recovery of rare and endangered wildlife. More than 40 species, including the crested ibis (Nipponia nippon), have been covered by targeted rescue and protection programs. The crested ibis population in Zhejiang has increased from 10 individuals to 960, and the province has established the country's largest artificial breeding base for the species.

Regulation of captive breeding and exhibition facilities for key terrestrial wildlife has also been strengthened. Zhejiang has supported the temporary exhibition of giant pandas in cities including Hangzhou, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Huzhou, and Taizhou under strict management requirements.

Zhejiang has also played an active role in international conservation exchanges, successfully hosting the fifth World Congress of Biosphere Reserves of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in Hangzhou.