In late May, the discovery of an owl family that descended on an urban park in south China's Shenzhen City surprised and excited many bird lovers and local residents. In particular, the two fluffy and cute youngsters grabbed the eyes of many. 

Bird lovers' journal: Owl family in urban park surprises birdwatchers

Until one day in June, an owl was spotted hanging from a tree branch in the park, tangled in kite strings and lifeless. The cause of its death – a stray kite – was dangling in the air.

The bird was later identified as one of the two fledglings in the owl family of four, still learning to fly and earning a life for its own.

CGTN's contributing bird lover Li Sheng took these photos of the tragic scene. "Never will we see these two cuties together again," Li said with pity.

Shenzhen Birdwatching Association's official WeChat account cited data by Huanqiu.com, a Chinese news website, as saying that 34 birds were killed and over 120 injured at a kite festival in India in 2012, and in 2015, at a similar event, the lives of over 100 birds were lost and more than 300 were wounded.

Reports of kites killing or injuring birds in China are also common on the internet.

In fact, humans have been the victims too. Incidents of kite strings causing electric shocks, killing or injuring people can be found online every year.

For example, in February 2021, stray kites forced eight high-speed trains to halt in central China's Zhengzhou City. In 2015, a woman walking on a street in southwest China's Chongqing City almost lost her life after a kite string cut open her throat.

Kite flying has a long history and remains a popular activity for celebrations worldwide. In China, the recreation is particularly favored in the spring season when strong winds blow.

Currently, flying kites is forbidden in many cities' parks, including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, due to safety concerns. Experts warn kite flyers not to leave strings alone and get professional help if necessary. 

According to Li Sheng, the bird lover in Shenzhen, the rest of the owl family are probably still in the park. The last time he saw them was July 5, when he spotted two owls, one adult and one fledgling.

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(All images provided by Fang Qianran and Li Sheng)

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)