Fengxian district declares itself a haven for wildlife

The Fengxian district government announced Wednesday that it has designated the entire district as a wild animal sanctuary, and has reserved the right to criminally charge anyone who kills more than 20 wild animals there.

The local wild animal population is an important natural resource because it helps maintain the district's natural balance and its biodiversity, said Chu Kelong, director of the Fengxian Forestry Office.

"The wetlands in Fengxian are also a resting place for some migratory birds, which are nationally protected animals," Chu told the Global Times. "Some habitats have already been damaged or destroyed by human activities, so we need to have stricter measures to fight illegal hunting."

Located in southern Shanghai, Fengxian covers 687.39 square kilometers and is home to more than 240 terrestrial wild animal species, of which 208 are birds. By comparison, Jing'an district covers an area of 7.62 square kilometers.

Authorities will carry out regular patrols of the district's forests and wetlands, Chu said. They will confiscate any equipment used for illegal hunting and will fine or file criminal charges against poachers, in accordance with China's Wild Animal Protection Law.