Hunting for animals and birds has become a fun sport in China. (Photo : Reuters)
Tianjin City's Beidagang wetland nature reserve has had more than 70,000 migratory birds visiting this year, according to an official at the wildlife reservoir.
Swans, wild geese and about 100 endangered oriental white storks have traveled to the coastal city's wetland since the start of November, said Yang Jiwen, director of the Beidagang Wildlife Protection Station.
Tianjin's 34,887-hectare wetland is a known station for birds migrating from Inner Mongolia to Bohai Gulf in east China, according to China.org.
More than one million birds of 200 species yearly make a visit to Beidagang Wildlife Protection Station, which is part of the world's eight bird migration routes.
The station has enlisted about 500 volunteers to help feed the visiting birds and protect them from threats of poaching.
"We will cast fish fries to make sure the birds have enough food for winter," said Wang Jianmin, a volunteer for the station.
The volunteer said that they have not encountered hunters so far.
China Daily, however, reported early last year that in Nov. 2012, 20 oriental white storks, which are under China's highest level of animal protection, were found dead at the Beidagang reserve.
Also found lifeless were 100 birds that included mallards, spot-billed ducks and grey herons.
All the birds were poisoned by poachers, according to the report.
A number of non-government organizations and animal rights activists had already made efforts to educate citizens about consuming wildlife.
