The College of Wildlife and Protected Area, established as China’s first and only institution, pioneered the nation’s higher education system for wildlife conservation. In 1960, it launched the country’s first undergraduate program in wildlife management, followed by the introduction of the first undergraduate program in nature reserve management in 1988.

As the leading academic institution in China’s wildlife and protected area sector, the renowned wildlife management expert Academician Ma Jianzhang established the college. It has educated over 10,000 graduates (bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral) who constitute the backbone of China’s wildlife conservation and management industry.

Guided by national strategic priorities, the college leads China’s higher education in wildlife conservation while advancing ecological civilization. It cultivates leadership talents with the patriotic mission of “guarding nature for our homeland” and interdisciplinary professionals who embody the philosophy of human-nature harmony under the “One World, One Health” animal welfare concept.

The college boasts internationally recognized, first-class disciplines in Forestry, including two secondary disciplines, Wildlife Conservation and Utilization, and Protected Area Science, and a key discipline in Animal Husbandry acknowledged by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. It offers a National First-Class Undergraduate Program in Wildlife and Nature Reserve Management, two Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Programs in Animal Medicine and Animal Science, and a New Agricultural Science Program in National Park Construction and Management.

The college boasts a distinguished faculty featuring national and provincial-level scientific leaders, emerging talents, and teaching experts. It spearheads significant research initiatives, including National Key R&D Programs, NSFC Key Projects, and Heilongjiang Provincial Key R&D Projects. Its academic team comprises seven second-class professors, 23 doctoral supervisors, and 57 master's supervisors, with over half having international educational experience. The college operates virtual teaching and research platforms under the Ministry of Education and innovation teams from national and provincial authorities.

The college operates the National Wildlife Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center and the National Wildlife Virtual Simulation Teaching Center. Its facilities include specialized laboratories in Zoology, Nutritional Analysis, Genetics, Animal Physiology, Fur Science, Avian and Mammalian Taxonomy, and Veterinary Medicine, as well as Asia’s most comprehensive wildlife fur specimen repository. With over 100 internship bases across China's national parks, protected areas, wildlife parks, and research institutions, students gain extensive practical training.

Maintaining global partnerships, the college collaborates with over 20 universities and research institutes across the United States, the UK, Russia, Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Canada, Singapore, and New Zealand. It enrolls international students and implements exchange programs, internships, and short-term study tours as part of its international cooperation initiatives.