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Xinjiang Morning News (text/reporter Suo Zihu Photo/Video Correspondent External Force Chen Xing) Recently, in Bozhou Hot Spring County, a herder found three black storks in the process of grazing. The black stork is a first-class protected wild animal in China, known as the "panda among birds", with less than 1,000 in the country, which is extremely rare.
On July 18, Xinjiang Morning Post reporters learned from the Forest Police Station of the Wenquan County Public Security Bureau that on the 12th, they received an alarm from herders from the Chagan Tengge team of the Huhe Toha Breeding Farm, saying that they had found a large bird with a special appearance and two young chicks between the cliffs on the east side of the Otoksel Reservoir.
After receiving the police, the police at the police station immediately went to investigate the situation. "This large bird is large, about a meter long, with a long and stout beak, a particularly long head, neck and feet, and a red beak and feet. The other two are about 40 centimeters small. When we arrived at the scene, three birds were resting on the cliff next to the reservoir. Police officer Battle said that there are often some rare animals in Hot Spring County, but this bird is still found for the first time.
According to police officer Wu Long, after comparing with the atlas of wild animals in Xinjiang, it is believed that the bird may be a national first-level protected wild animal black stork. The water sources around the reservoir are abundant, and there are many fish and shrimp, which are suitable for the growth of black storks.
Subsequently, the police arranged for the surrounding herders to regularly check whether the nest was safe, and the forest police would also regularly observe the nest to ensure that there was no human interference. The police also carry out publicity to herders to minimize human interference with areas and time nodes such as wildlife habitats, water sources, and breastfeeding areas, and provide a safe habitat for wild animals.
Aheti Bharati, associate professor of the College of Animal Sciences of Xinjiang Agricultural University, identified the three birds as black storks under national first-class protection through pictures. Of the three black storks, the larger one is an adult black stork and the other two are juvenile black storks.
According to Aheti Bharati, the black stork is a large wader with a bright body, agile movement and alert temperament, generally living in waterfowl-rich water sources or swamps, feeding on fish and also preying on other small animals. It inhabits rivers and near streams in swampy mountains, and prefers to build large nests on tall trees or rocks, with its head and neck straight when flying. Black storks have been found in Fuyun County before, and black storks are distributed in both the north and south of Xinjiang, but the number is extremely rare. It is not surprising that black storks appear in Hot Springs Prefecture this time, and the local environment is more suitable for the growth and habitat of black storks.
At present, the number of black storks in China is less than 1,000, and it is listed as a low-risk species of the IUCN, which is as rare as the giant panda, according to Aheti Bharati. The black stork prefers to be active during the day and often inhabits the water's edge beach or sandbar in the water at night. Not good at singing, quietly and silently during the activity. Alert and timid, hearing and vision are very developed, when people are still far away from the sky to fly, so find that the black stork please do not approach, do not destroy their living environment.