Over 50 endangered raptors found dead near a nature reserve in China

A group of wildlife volunteers in China spent close to a month documenting what appeared to be the unnatural deaths of more than 50 endangered raptors on the Jiatang Grassland in the country’s north-western Qinghai province.

Recruited by an artist activist known as Nut Brother, the volunteers found the carcasses of 55 birds, including 53 endangered raptors such as steppe eagles, saker falcons and eagle owls, mostly below power poles or near electrical wires.

They believed the birds died due to electrocution, although their claim was disputed by the authorities as investigation was underway.

The group’s finding, which were published in a WeChat post on June 24, had sparked some online discussions.

The author of the post, who goes by Chang Le the bird counter, told The Paper that his team conducted their fieldwork from May 24 to June 21. Details of each carcass, including the species, where it was found and the GPS coordinates were published in the post.

The author said burn marks were visible on some of the birds, while others had their tails severed.

The group believed that the birds were electrocuted because of a controversial approach adopted by the Qinghai arm of China’s State Grid to deter birds.

The author said the state-owned utility company had installed artificial nests on the power lines with the intention of providing habitats for the birds, but this created an unintended consequence. Raptors were attracted to the nests and were electrocuted by accident, the group alleged.

In response to the claim, the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve’s spokesman denied that electrocution was the direct cause of the birds’ deaths.

He did not provide a specific explanation, citing an ongoing investigation in a note on Monday.

The spokesman also clarified that the grassland on which the carcasses were found is not part of the national park.