Jinshan District has been designated a wildlife sanctuary, the fourth of its kind in Shanghai, the city's greenery authorities announced on Friday.
Jinshan has 9,695 hectares of forests and 6,217 hectares of wetland.
Its favorable ecological environment and location have attracted a large number of wildlife, particularly birds, the bureau said.
Jinshan District is located in a suburb of Shanghai. /VCG
It has recorded 155 wildlife species, of which 10 are second-class national protected animals and 23 are on a city-level protection list. Seven are classified as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Between October and April, tens of thousands of migratory birds fly through Jinshan. However, the birds have made the district a hotbed for illegal hunting, the bureau said. About 1,000 illegal hunting nets are dismantled in the district every year, and the tradition of eating toads is deeply rooted in some areas.
The district has enhanced crackdowns on the illegal hunting, transportation and sales of wildlife since the coronavirus epidemic. A total of 106 bird-hunting nets have been removed since January 23.
(All photos via VCG)
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