Rescuers provide protection for wild animals in Shanghai
Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau.
The construction of habitats for water deer is an important part of that process, the bureau said.
As the city’s habitats for wild animals improve, more animal residents are spotted.
As many as 3,000 raccoon dogs are thought to be living in Shanghai. GPS and infrared cameras are being used to observe their movements and behavior, said researcher Wang Fang at Fudan University’s School of Life Sciences.
In July, there were reports of a resident bitten by a raccoon dog, a relative of the fox, at the Milan Nuoguidu residential community in Songjiang District.
The neighborhood committee attributed the rising number of the animals to the extensive greenery in the community and to residents leaving food outdoors for stray cats.
“Wild animals surprise and delight city dwellers, but they can also pose challenges,” said Wang.
Wang and his team surveyed nearly 200 residential complexes in the city last year and found traces of raccoon dogs at 147 of them.
Wang’s team and Shanghai’s forestry authorities plan to put GPS collars on another 10 raccoon dogs this year, and more than 300 infrared cameras have been installed across the city at university campuses, parks and residential complexes to monitor their activities.
“We hope to collect a large amount of data to help us find management solutions for wild animals in the city within one or two years,” said Wang.
The data collection will cover raccoon dogs, weasels, hedgehogs and birds, he said.
Shanghai Forestry Station said it has been cooperating with Wang’s team to collect data on rescues and shelters.
“A lot of basic work is involved in determining how to protect wild animals living in the city,” said Li Zirong, deputy director of the station.