Wild Bird Discovered Inside Sichuan Staff Quarters
A rare throat-girdled tragopan, a national first-class protected wild animal, turned up inside an employee dormitory in Xinlong County, Ganzi Prefecture, on October 23, sichuan.scol.com.cn reported. Xinlong County Public Security Bureau officers found the bird hiding in a wardrobe corner after staff noticed broken items and pecked food on a desk.
The startled creature features unique scaled feather patterns and belongs to a rare pheasant species native to the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. These birds typically inhabit high-altitude coniferous forests and alpine azalea brush, remaining naturally timid and rarely venturing near human settlements.
Police Health Check and Release Into Protected Mountain Forests
Attending officers inspected the stray pheasant immediately after capture. Finding no surface wounds, fractures, or signs of poisoning, police confirmed the animal was merely frightened by its intrusion into the building and retained full capability for independent survival.
Law enforcement officers drove the bird to a remote mountain forest situated far from residential zones. The release site provides dense vegetation alongside abundant food and water sources, matching the natural habitat requirements of the species.
Legal Protections and Wildlife Reporting Protocols
Xinlong Police maintain ongoing ecological policing efforts through routine forest patrols and public education campaigns targeting wildlife protection. Authorities emphasize that throat-girdled tragopans and all other state-key protected wildlife are strictly guarded by law against hunting, harming, private breeding, or trading.
Residents who encounter wild animals are instructed to maintain distance rather than attempting to touch, capture, or feed them, which prevents stress-induced shock or animal bites. Anyone discovering trapped, injured, or stray wildlife in residential areas should immediately dial 110 or contact local forestry and grassland management authorities for professional handling.
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