Efforts to Combat Bird Poaching in China Intensify
Tens of thousands of birds are caught annually across China in nets for the pet trade or meat, driven by habitat loss due to rapid urbanisation and a cultural habit of keeping cage birds. China, home to about 1,500 bird species, including more than 800 migratory species, faces a significant challenge in wildlife protection. Silva Gu leads the Beijing Migratory Bird Squad, which was formed in 2015 after authorities were slow to respond to wildlife crimes. Silva personally detains poachers in the field, summoning police to arrest offenders, and using satellite imagery to map poacher paths and cross-reference with migratory routes to identify net traps. A Siberian rubythroat can fetch about 2,000 yuan on the black market, illustrating the lucrative nature of the trade. The crackdown aligns with a broader government push, where Beijing police and forestry authorities have increasingly engaged in enforcement. Interpol estimates the illegal wildlife trade globally is worth nearly $20 billion, with China being the largest consumer of wildlife products. Earlier this year in Dalian, police arrested 13 suspects and seized more than 12,000 yellow-breasted buntings. Over ten years, Silva has rescued more than 20,000 birds and hopes for generational change, planning to continue nightly patrols during migrations.
