Mandarin ducks enjoy beautiful scenery in SW China’s Chongqing

A flock of mandarin ducks forage and frolic on the water in Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, southwest China's Chongqing. (Photo/Huang Zhiyu)

A flock of mandarin ducks, which come under second-class state protection in China, were spotted foraging and frolicking along a section of the Zhufo River in Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, southwest China's Chongqing, Nov. 9, 2022.

Their colorful feathers blended in perfectly with the lucid waters and lush mountains, creating an attractive picture.

Pengshui has made bird protection a routine practice in recent years. The county has protected and managed its ecosystems including mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, and grasslands with a holistic approach, fully implemented the river and forest chiefs systems, and strictly enforced the ten-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River. A string of projects has also been put in place to conserve water and soil, maintain biodiversity, control stony deserts and soil erosion, and also prevent geological disasters.

Thanks to these endeavors, the local environment has witnessed continuous improvement, providing an ideal habitat for wild animals to survive and thrive.