China 'Accompany' White Swans Returning to Siberia
In Shanxi’s Plain River Yellow River Wetland, white swans practiced take-off and landing on the water surface, preparing for their long-distance migration. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Feihang.
Xinhua News Agency, Taian, March 12th (Xinhua reporters Lü Mengqi, Wang Feihang) As the temperature continues to rise, tens of thousands of white swans are their winter stay in China and returning to Siberia in flocks and teams. Various provinces along the route in China have issued urgent notices, severely cracking down on bird-related crimes and arranging personnel for observation to protect these ‘old friends’.
White swans have been listed as a national Grade II protected animal, belonging to globally vulnerable species. Shanxi Province’s Nature Reserve Management Station Senior Engineer Zhang Longsheng said that white swans primarily migrate to China through three routes: the east line flies along the coast from Siberia to Shandong Bohai Sea and Yellow River estuary; the west line flies from Europe to Xinjiang Bayinbu Lake and Qinghai Lake; and the middle line passes through Mongolia to Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi and Henan.
It is conservatively estimated that more than 20,000 white swans migrate from Siberia to China for winter every year. The largest migration site is the Yellow River wetland between Shanxi’s Plain River County and Henan’s Sanmenxia City, with more than 10,000 white swans gathering there during the winter.
Several white swans played on the water surface in Shanxi’s Plain River Yellow River Wetland. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Feihang.
Plain River County Wild Plant and Animal Protection Station Director Yang Yunge recalled that since the early 1980s, white swans have begun to winter here, initially around 2,000, and last year reached approximately 1.2 million.
Plain River County was awarded the title of ‘China’s Swan Capital’ by the China Wildlife Protection Association as early as 2012. To protect white swans, Plain River County has successively closed down polluting enterprises around the wetland, invested several hundred million yuan to improve the ecology, and established a team of over 100 people for protection, installing a remote video monitoring system. In addition, Plain River County has compensated farmers 400,000 yuan annually for six consecutive years for land abandonment around the wetland.
‘We have a responsibility to protect these white swans, they are part of the natural ecology and also part of our happy life’’, Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Feihang, who has been patrolling the Plain River Yellow River Wetland for more than 10 years, said that over the past few months, he has invested approximately 100 tons of corn and cabbage that they like to eat.
Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Feihang photographed the guardian delivering food to the swans due to the ice surface, making it difficult for the swans to forage.
Taking advantage of this huge ‘Swan Lake’, Plain River County is constructing a Yellow River Golden Triangle Plain River White Swan Ecological Economic Demonstration Zone with an investment of 30 billion yuan. After the first phase is completed, it is expected to receive more than 500,000 tourists annually.
Besides issuing protection policies and increasing financial investment, China’s continuously improving ecological environment is the best ‘protection’ for the white swans’ migration.
‘A beautiful ecology is the best home for white swans, with China’s continued ecological construction, there may be more white swans flying from Siberia to China for winter’’, Zhang Longsheng said.
