Members of staff pose for photos with panda cubs at the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base in Chengdu, Sichuan province, early last month, before the Spring Festival holiday. (Photo: Xinhua)

The government is working to ensure a healthier and safer environment for flora and fauna. Yang Wanli reports.

Longganhu National Nature Reserve in the central province of Hubei is having its busiest spring since it was established in 2009, and it has recorded a record number of migrant birds this year.

All the reserve's staff members are busy safeguarding the "visitors", who are scheduled to head north in the coming weeks.

At the peak of the migration season, 145,000 birds were counted at the reserve. "During several observation periods, an average of about 140,000 birds could be seen throughout winter, a record high in the past decade," said Wu Xinzhou, head of the reserve's management office, adding that the previous record was 122,000 birds.

As spring draws near and the weather turns warmer, tundra swans are gradually leaving to continue their journey north. Other birds, such as white cranes, are still replenishing their energy for the trip ahead.

According to Wu, the numbers of several wild species broke records during the winter, including 13 white cranes and 105 hooded cranes, both under Level I protection, the highest in China.

"In addition to people's growing awareness of wildlife protection, the booming population of migratory birds in the reserve is the result of several factors, such as fishing bans and environmental restoration efforts," he said.

On Jan 1, a 10-year ban, outlawing all types of fishing except that for scientific research, started in the main channel of the Yangtze River, China's longest waterway, plus its major branches and two large connected lakes.

The reserve, centered in Longgan Lake and connected by the Yangtze to Poyang Lake, China's biggest body of water, implemented a regional fishing ban on Oct 1.