Migratory birds packed in crates saved by railway police (2)

All the birds have been transferred to the Hunan wild life protection center.

A staff member from the center said the birds are mostly in good condition and the center has already arranged to release them at West Dongting Lake National Natural Reserve in the province's city of Changde.

The case is part of the ongoing campaign in Hunan aiming to crack down on bird poaching. The campaign was launched following the reported deaths of large numbers of migratory birds.

The Hunan forestry police have started screening for illegal poaching of migratory birds, after previous media reports showed villagers in Hunan captured the birds for food, while hobbyists and professional hunters were poaching the birds for sport and profit.

Illegally hunting or selling more than 20 wild birds is considered a criminal offense. The provincial forestry police are offering an award of up to 5,000 yuan ($803) to anyone who reports a successfully prosecuted illegal hunting case.

Xinhua - Global Times