Poaching of China’s Migratory Birds Ignites Netizen Anger and Activism

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Netizens in China, already known for crowdsourced social activism, are hoping to make change happen again–this time, in order to save migratory birds.

As reported by Headline News Hunan (@湖南头条新闻) and Changsha Evening News (@长沙晚报), there has been rampant poaching of wild birds on migratory paths in certain remote areas of Hunan Province by local peasants. (See a collection of highly troubling images at the bottom of this article.)

Most commentators on China’s social media–who, it must be noted, live in urban areas and are generally more educated than an average Chinese person–raged against the ignorance of the peasants and bemoaned the depravity of wildlife poaching. @貝貝1984 tweets, “[Poaching] because of poverty? My compatriots give me chills down my back.” {{1}}[[1]] 穷的？我的同胞让我背脊发凉。[[1]] @miuzic remembered with regret, “I caught an eagle once when I was a kid… stewed it. In the rural areas, we ate a big bird if we saw it. Nobody knew what species it was because there was no one with that kind of knowledge.” {{2}}[[2]]哎呀，想起我小时候抓过一只老鹰。。。。 炖了 。。。。 农村，看见大鸟就吃的，谁管它叫啥名字，反正没几个认识。[[2]]

Some, however, recognize that it is more important to control demand for wildlife as a foodstuff in China than to blame peasants with little education or income. @小草matt tweets, “A peasant can only make a few hundred yuan a month in those places. If they can make one or two hundred by killing a bird, what do you think they’d do? The places named in the reports are some of the poorest [in the country]… You cannot imagine how hard their lives are.” {{3}}[[3]]那些地方一个农民月均纯收入能有几百块就不错了,打一只鸟能卖一两百,你说呢?特别是上述几个地区恰恰是最贫困的地区..你无法想象他们的生活有多艰难.[[3]] @懒猫家的奶牛 agrees, “Can you control what rich people eat? We peasants are very realistic–we’d do it if there is money to be made, what’s there to be afraid of? But if there is no demand, there would be no killing.”  {{4}}[[4]]你能管住有钱人的嘴吗？我们农民是非常现实的，只要有钱赚我们就干，怕个啥子？但是如果没有需求，哪来的滥捕滥杀。[[4]]

A vet tries to save a egret dying from starvation due to loss of habitat -- Via @邓飞

Commentators confirm that some restaurants sell wildlife under the table in Southern China, but @gipsycat_hehe gives a more personal account: “My family is originally from Hubei Province. A few years ago we had dinner at a relative’s place over Chinese New Year. To mark the important occasion, the host presented a plate of game meat and I found out it was wild geese. What’s worse, few people at the table thought it was wrong.”  {{5}}[[5]]老家在湖北，几年前的春节在亲戚家吃饭，主人为显示隆重席间特意端上了一盆野味，一问，才知是大雁，更让人寒心的是一桌老小竟少有人觉得这样做是不对的。[[5]] @染香姐姐 makes a bitter joke, “Now you know why aliens always visit the U.S., because they get eaten if they visit China.”  {{6}}[[6]]我晕！这下子大家知道为啥外星人总降落到美国了吧？？降到中国的全给吃了！ [[6]]

The problem goes beyond poaching–loss of natural habitat and food sources in China also prolongs many birds’ migratory journey and make them more vulnerable. Deng Fei (@邓飞), a reporter and activist, issued a call to arms: “If we don’t eat wild birds, buy wild birds, [and] report sellers of wild birds to the police, we can protect migratory birds. If the government, forestry police, media and volunteers all work together, change will happen!” {{7}}[[7]]如我们不吃鸟，不买鸟，见卖鸟者便举报并群起扭送，我们就可以保护候鸟。政府、林业公安、媒体、鸟类保护志愿者，我们联合起来，改变就会发生！[[7]] Several local newspapers on the migratory path have answered his call to report on and investigate poaching and environmental degradation. 

The volunteer group Hunan Bird Protection Camp (@湖南省护鸟营微博) tweeted some stark photos of migratory birds caught in traps and nets. The group’s Weibo account reports on bird-killing and trading, and organizes activities to raise awareness of the issue. 

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