The staff of the Manas National Wetland Park is providing food for migratory birds on a stopover at the park in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The park was hit by a seven-hour-long snowfall that froze and 80 percent of its water areas. It is hard for the migratory birds to find food in such conditions. The park staff set up feeding sites for the birds to survive the winter.

"This year, we began to provide fodder at the feeding sites very early and have offered 300 kilograms of corn to the migratory and sedentary birds, like swans and mallards, that are spending the winter here to ensure that they have enough food and a safe environment in our park," said Liu Yongjun, the leader of the park's management and protection team.

According to Liu, this year, the number of swans wintering in the park has increased by about four times over the past years, thanks to the protective measures for the wetland and wildlife taken by the local government.

(Editor: Xing Fangyu. Cover image via VCG)

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