Over 6,600 criminal cases related to wild animals filed, around 10,000 suspects arrested

According to the Ministry of Public Security, public security organs across the country have filed more than 6,600 criminal cases involving harm to wild animals, such as birds, and arrested over 9,900 suspects since August this year.

These efforts are part of a special operation launched in August to crack down severely on criminal activities endangering wild animals, such as birds.

The ministry noted that public security organs have carried out strikes against all relevant crimes, including hunting, purchasing, distributing, and utilizing wild animals such as birds.

Police leveraged data-driven analysis to support precise offline operations, targeting activities that endanger wild animals, such as the use of modified tools, including drones to drop arrows, nail guns, hunting traps, and bird nets.

Besides, public security authorities have strengthened inter-departmental cooperation, promoted joint governance, and mobilized the public by launching a national reporting platform for clues related to environmental, food and drug crimes to improve the efficiency of crackdowns, protection and governance.

In a recent case highlighted by the ministry, police in Dalian, Liaoning province, solved a series of cases involving harm to precious and endangered wild animals, arresting 13 suspects and seizing more than 12,000 yellow-breasted buntings — a national first-class protected wild bird, the highest protection level in China, with the case value exceeding 39 million yuan ($5.52 million).

Investigations showed that in May 2025, a suspect surnamed Zhang hunted national protected wild birds multiple times, and purchased other national protected wild birds hunted by others to resell to third parties, who then fed the wild birds for resale.