Beijing activist battles illegal bird poaching
Before dawn on the outskirts of Beijing, Silva Gu moves quietly through tall grass, scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. Behind him, the city is still asleep. Ahead, the faint sound of footsteps signals what he has been waiting for: bird poachers setting their traps. For more than a decade, Silva has devoted his life to protecting migratory songbirds from illegal hunting. Working in near silence, he leads the way into a clearing where nearly invisible mist nets stretch across the field. These nets are designed to trap small birds during migration, ensnaring them as they fly low at night. Every year, tens of thousands of birds are caught this way across China, either to be sold as pets or for meat. The practice has become more common as economic pressures mount. With limited investment and relatively low […]