Source:
Xinhua| 2019-11-24 23:28:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan
KUNMING, Nov. 24 (Xinhua)
-- A white-bellied heron, also called Ardea insignis, a critically endangered
bird species, was spotted and rescued in southwest China's Yunnan Province,
local authorities said Saturday.
The physically exhausted
bird was found in Changning County by a local villager on Nov. 10, and
transferred to the Wildlife Shelter and Rescue Center of Baoshan City for
feeding and nursing after identification.
"The bird has been
identified as a white-bellied heron," said Han Lianxian, an ornithologist
and professor at Southwest Forestry University, adding that the bird is a large
heron unique to the southern slopes of the Himalayas, and listed as critically
endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
"The bird may be a
newborn and suffered from physical exhaustion as it strayed from its natural
habitat," Han said.
The researchers conducted
a two-day assessment of the bird's physical condition and whether it was fit
for release. The bird was released from a vast river valley in Changning on
Friday, after experts determined that it had regained its physical fitness and
was able to survive in the wild.
"The scarcity of
white-bellied herons is closely related to their stringent habitat
requirements, making them an indicator species of river ecology," Han
said.
Researchers have installed
a satellite tracking recorder on the white-bellied heron's back and put on an
ankle ring to monitor it and develop rescue measures.
