Poisoned rare storks trigger calls for animal protection
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E-mail Xinhua, November 21, 2012
Police said the water in the wetland was confirmed to have contained carbofuran, also known as furadan, one of the most toxic carbamate pesticides.
Local authorities are diluting the tainted water and looking for the sources of the pesticide. It is believed that the birds were poisoned by poachers who sell the rare birds to restaurants where wildfowls are sold illegally.
Though hunting and trading endangered animals are both banned in China, a large bird like the Oriental white stock can fetch about 200 yuan (about 32 U.S. dollars) on the black market, while a swan can garner up to 1,000 yuan.
Local authorities have since stepped up protection measures at the reserve, and a 50,000 yuan reward has been offered for clues on the whereabouts of the poachers.
The poisoning of the wild birds has triggered angry outbursts directed at poachers, as well as outcry for intensified wild animal protection.
"What a cruel and greedy slaughter! The storks are just like travellers on their way home, but now they will never have a chance to get back on their way," "xianyubujiaoao" wrote on Sina Weibo, a popular Twitter-like microblogging platform.
"No trading, no poaching! The true murderers behind wild animal poaching are those greedy gluttons who devour almost everything," wrote Weibo user "linxiaohaidechuntian."
Xue Manzi, a famous Chinese angel investor and an active Weibo user, also asked the public not to eat wildfowls or other wild animals and urged authorities to intensify their crackdown on the illegal industrial chain of poaching, including restaurants that sell endangered animals.
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