Animal
14:42, 03-Jun-2019
White pelicans return to nature in NW China after recovering from frostbite
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Eight great white pelicans were released back into the wild in the Manas wetland in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, after recovering for six months from frostbite.
The great white pelican is under second-class national protection in China.
The pelicans were caught in bad weather during their migration last winter, and were suffering from different degrees of frostbite when they were found by locals in Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture. The birds spent the cold winter at a local wildlife rescue center, and recovered under the care of rescue workers.
Great white pelicans. /VCG Photo
Great white pelicans. /VCG Photo
Rescue workers chose to set the birds free in the Manas wetland, as the location has good natural conditions and is on the migration route of white pelicans. Specialists placed a tracking device on each bird, hoping to collect data for future research on their migration and reproduction patterns in China.
"We will keep the eight released white pelicans in observation and monitoring, and step up our patrol power to ensure that the pelicans have a safe living habitat in the Manas national wetland," said Meng Bianjiang, deputy director of the Xinjiang Manas National Wetland Administration.
(Cover image via VCG.)
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