Rare wild black stork spotted in Yongchuan district, SW China’s Chongqing for first time

Photo shows a wild black stork, a species under first-class state protection, in Yongchuan district, southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality. (Photo courtesy of the Chongqing Municipal Forestry Bureau)

A drone captured footage of a rare wild black stork foraging in Yongchuan district, southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality on Feb. 25. It was the first time that images of the species, which is under first-class state protection, had been captured in the district.

“The bird is as precious as the giant panda,” said Duan Biao, an associate professor at the College of Fisheries under Southwest University in Chongqing, adding that the appearance of the species indicates that the district’s ecological environment has seen continuous improvement.