Poaching of wild birds threatens some species
Illegal trade on the mainland targeting migratory flocks has become so big that it threatens the existence of some species, say experts
On a misty September night, a flock of egrets swoop silently through the Luoxiao Mountains. They pass low over Hunan province's Guidong county into the glare of dozens of LED lights pointing skyward from a valley.
Gunfire erupts and birds tumble to the ground amid squawks. Men laugh as they pluck dead egrets from the grass and stuff them into sacks.
The scene, part of a 12-minute documentary by the Changsha Evening News, has helped expose a growing problem of poaching in mainland rural areas and sparked new calls for the government to better protect migratory birds that cross its territory.
In one "good harvest", poachers might expect to bag as much as a tonne of wild birds, including the threatened egrets, said Li Feng, a photographer who was one of three journalists who worked on the documentary.
"There were at least 200 lights on the hill and behind each light was a group of hunters," Li told The Beijing News. "You can imagine how many people were poaching."
Each autumn, millions of birds pass over Hunan's mountains and lakes on their way to warmer climes in the south. Tens of thousands never finish the trip. They are shot, sold, cooked and consumed in remote villages - despite strict laws on poaching and gun possession.