In order to take good photos, some photography enthusiasts stabbed the red horned owl (a kind of owl) of the national second-class protected animal with bamboo poles in the Yuanmingyuan! There are even birds playing to lure them to open their eyes and shoot. Recently, this video of suspected harassment and abuse of wild animals was uploaded by netizens and triggered online condemnation.
On June 11, the reporter went to the Fuhai Scenic Area of the Old Summer Palace and found that there were still photography enthusiasts shooting, although they did not use any tools, but the frequent visits of the photographers still made these little guys unable to rest. Industry insiders say frequent harassment can lead to a decline in the viability of these little guys.
Incident 丨 Poke bird photo video triggered a war of words
On June 9, some netizens posted a video of "poking the red-horned owl in the Yuanmingyuan with a bamboo pole", in which several birdwatchers gathered under a tree, one holding a camera, and two people holding slender bamboo poles slowly reaching high, dialing the branches and leaves near the red-horned owl. After a while, only to hear someone shouting "extended (wings), extended (wings)", the person in charge of taking pictures hurriedly pressed the shutter.
Not only that, but the next day, these photography enthusiasts intensified their efforts to play birds on an electric media machine (a kind of sound) to attract red-horned owls to open their eyes and shoot.
After this video was issued, it caused great controversy on the Internet, and netizens left messages questioning the practices of these people, "it is indeed excessive", "there is no bottom line, just to take a few good photos", "for their own selfish desires!" How good can this kind of photo be? "It's okay not to love, but please don't hurt.
Many photography enthusiasts said that bird shooting can not tempt birds, let alone interfere with the normal life of birds, which is the basic principle of bird shooting. More netizens said that these people's behavior is "full of food and support", and it is recommended to block for life.
There are still photographers "harassing" the red-horned owl at the scene
On the morning of June 11, the reporter came to the Fuhai Scenic Area of the Yuanmingyuan where the incident occurred according to the information provided by the video shooter, and found that only three photography enthusiasts were shooting at the scene. According to nearby staff, the crowd of bird shooters is mainly concentrated around 9 a.m., and a group of people have already left after filming.
According to a woman at the scene, she heard that there were owls in the Yuanmingyuan many days ago, and today she came to shoot in the morning, but because she did not find the right place, she only photographed some wild ducks and dragonflies in the morning. When I came here and found that someone else was filming, I knew that the shooting site was here.
According to the guidance of the lady, the reporter saw that there was indeed an owl on the branch, but after being poked for two consecutive days, although it was noon, the owl did not close its eyes and rest, but from time to time to bite the hair and look around.
"It opened its eyes, quick shot", "Turned its head, grabbed its own hair." "Every action of the owl will attract the attention of the photographer.
Until the lady's camera battery was about to run out, several people still had no intention of leaving. The woman changed the battery and continued to crouch down to shoot, it was nearly one o'clock in the afternoon, although she had not yet eaten lunch, but compared to the shooting, they said that "there is no hurry to eat."
Interpretation丨owal owls can not rest during the day or cause a decline in survivability
Also visiting the Yuanmingyuan with reporters on the same day was Xi Wa (pseudonym), the leader of the Beijing Bird Protection Squad, a professional who has been on the front line of anti-poaching for many years, saying that he was the first to receive the "poking the bird" video. However, at that time, I was in a foreign country and could only be handed over to my colleagues.
Sival said the owl filmed in the video, scientifically known as the Red Horned Owl, is a national second-level protected animal that feeds on insects, rodents and birds. Nesting in tree holes, it is a nocturnal bird. Abduction will easily cause its predation and survivability to decline, putting it in danger.
He said that the Wildlife Protection Law also stipulates that any organization and individual has the obligation to protect wild animals and their habitats. Illegal hunting of wild animals and destruction of wildlife habitats are prohibited. Any organization or individual has the right to report or accuse violations of this Law to the relevant departments and organs. The competent departments for wildlife protection and other relevant departments and organs shall promptly handle reports or accusations in accordance with law.
According to Sival, in order to take good photos, it is not uncommon for photography enthusiasts to lure birds, kick trees, and smash them with stones. The eagle owl that bred in the Summer Palace in the summer of 2016 attracted many bird shooters. Screaming, yelling, everything. In the end, the baby eagle owl mysteriously disappeared before he had the ability to fly!
In response丨The park has increased the number of patrols and will call the police if necessary
Subsequently, the reporter came to the Garden Ecology Section of the Yuanmingyuan Management Office, and Wang Peiran, deputy chief of the section, said that in view of this situation, it has been reflected to the Security Section, and the Security Section has also sent more personnel to strengthen patrol and management, and will be dissuaded in case of situations.
But he said that as a park, there are only a few things that can be done. The park is not a law enforcement agency, has no law enforcement powers, and can only be dissuaded in similar situations, and cannot take other measures against it. After the incident, the police have also been communicated, and if there is a similar serious situation, the police can be contacted for handling.
Wang Peiran said that at present, the Wildlife Protection Law is mainly aimed at hunting and killing wild animals, and there are no clear regulations on this behavior that affects the normal habitat of wild animals. Many people are also unaware that some behaviors are harmful to wild animals. For example, an old man often comes to feed the red-billed south bird, and even "gives seven small birds names, and calls them to come."
But these behaviors can have an impact on the animals' ability to forage in the wild, which is also a harm to them.
In view of these situations, the park is somewhat powerless, hoping that from the system, it can promote legislation as soon as possible and establish a blacklist system for tourists. From the perspective of the park, patrols and signs can be added, public welfare publicity can be organized at regular fixed points, and even tips for animal protection may be added in terms of tickets and broadcasts.
In addition, Wang Peiran introduced that at present, the Yuanmingyuan is recruiting volunteers, hoping that social groups can participate in the action of animal protection.
Photo report/ Beijing Youth Daily reporter Bai Long