An upland buzzard, which is listed as China’s national second-class protected animal, was released into the wild near Beijing on March 28, 2023 after it was rescued by the Beijing Raptor Rescue Center (BRRC). Rescued from Laishui, North China’s Hebei Province in January 2023, the upland buzzard was treated at the BRRC for almost three months until it fully recovered. According to Zhou Lei, a senior rehabilitator at the center, the bird's blood tests and physical exams showed that it had reached a safe level for release. They released it as soon as possible to allow it to become familiar with the environment and smoothly return to its northbound flock. In order to better monitor the upland buzzard's survival in the wild, the BRRC fitted it with a GPS tracker, which will send the bird’s location information back to the center for related academic research. In March, the BRRC rescued and released 10 other raptors besides the upland buzzard. Among them were a Eurasian Eagle-owl, a Long-eared Owl, and a Short-eared Owl. Photos: Chen Tao/GT