A red-billed blue magpie is seen in the Olympic Forest Park in Beijing on January 13, 2023. Photo: VCG

The number of wild animals has been increasing in Beijing, and in this year the municipal authority will release the first list of important habitats for wildlife as part of efforts to create a more suitable ecological environment for wild species. There will be 13 habitats in the first list.

With 596 species of terrestrial wild animals including birds, insects and vertebrates, Beijing has become one of the most biodiverse metropolises in the world, according to a report by China Central Television (CCTV).

More wild animals were found not only in rural areas or mountainous areas in the capital city but also in urban settings and living together with people, which means the ecological environment for wild animals in Beijing is getting better, Deng Wenhong, professor of Beijing Normal University, told CCTV.

A Beijing photographer captured a scene of two golden eagles flying back and forth to the mountainside, grabbing at a sheep and flying into the sky in Fangshan district. The golden eagle is a national first-class protected animal.

To better protect wildlife, the authority has not only set the list of habitats but also published a list of wild animals under special conservation, listing 150 kinds of wild animals, on January 13, 2023.

Global Times