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Wildlife protection experts urged the public to become more active in protecting local wildlife and the ecosystem as Beijing celebrated "Bird Appreciation Week" last week.

Officials with the Beijing Forestry Bureau Wildlife Protection Station have warned that the swift, an insect-eating bird species common to the Beijing area, will face extinction if protection efforts fail. The number of swifts in Beijing has plummeted by about 70 percent over the past two decades to less than 3,000, Wang Minzhong, chief of the station, said yesterday.

To help foster breeding and increase the size of Beijing's bird population, artificial nests for swifts and other bird species are currently being constructed, Wang said.

He further added that increased efforts on the part of wildlife protection authorities to enforce existing laws and enhance public awareness of wildlife protection has saved many birds.

"I hope the wildlife rescue and protection work progresses quickly to meet global standards and to contribute to the development of a 'Green Olympics' in Beijing in 2008," Wang added.

Last week, dozens of Beijing residents marked the annual "Bird Appreciation Week" in the city by releasing birds purchased in local markets.

Several primary and middle schools held contests that tested students' knowledge of birds to promote interest in the subject of wildlife preservation.

The level of wildlife protection in a city or country is an indicator of the quality of life and development of a civil society, said Zhang Li, China director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), at a bird releasing event last Wednesday at Beijing Baiwangshan Forestry Park.

"Birds are very sensitive to their natural habitat so whether or not they live well indicates the overall quality of our natural environment," said Zhang.

Seven rescued raptors, including three eagles and four owls, were released at the event, co-sponsored by Beijing Forestry Bureau, IFAW and the Beijing Raptor Rescue Center.

All of China's raptor species are on the endangered list at this time. The Beijing Raptor Rescue Center has taken in 414 injured raptors, successfully releasing 211 back to the wild, said Song Jie, director of the center, which operates under Beijing Normal University.

Rich in natural resources, the Beijing area lies on a major migration route for raptors. However, as a consequence of the declining quality of the ecological environment and habitat destruction, more and more raptors are entering human environments every year, where they often suffer injuries.

"Chemical pesticides and extremely toxic rat poisons are still being used, causing raptors to die of acute poisoning," Song said.

The Beijing Raptor Rescue Center is increasing co-operation with foreign counterparts and upgrading facilities and technology to save wildlife, Song said.

(China Daily April 8, 2003)