On July 11, a bearded vulture suffering from a wing injury was found by tourists and later treated in Kazak Autonomous County of Aksay, Jiuquan City in northwest China's Gansu Province.

The tourists found the bird on the road and called the local police. They notified the local rescue station for wild animals to help.

Since the bearded vulture's wing was at stake, the staff in the rescue station decided to take it back to the station for further treatment. After initial treatment, the vulture is recovering well.

The bearded vulture usually lives in bare rock areas in the mountains with an altitude of 500 to 4,000 meters. They mainly feed on the carcasses of large animals.

The animal is under first-class state protection in China and listed as Near Threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

With rapid urbanization and worsening environmental condition, wild birds are facing more challenges, contributing to increasing instances of human encounters with wounded animals.

So what should we do if we discover injured animals?

Some people tend to keep animals and raise them at home. However, it may risk breaking the law for capturing animals under state protection in China.

For the sake of the wounded animals, it is best to call the police or the animal rescue center for professional help.

(Cover image via screenshot)

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