Freeing caged animals can harm environment, senior official warns

China will draft regulations to further prevent people from buying caged animals and setting them free without permission, said a senior official from China’s wildlife watchdog.

Yan Xun, chief engineer at the Department of Wildlife Conservation and Nature Reserve Management under the State Forestry Administration, said many people, some of them religious believers, feel that it is morally right to set free caged animals.

“Many places in China, such as Handan, Hebei province, have underground industries that derive huge profits from people’s goodwill,” said Yan.

“Many religious believers or activists think they are doing good things, but they should not bargain with traders to show how faithful they are because of how much they pay.”

“The profit that traders can get from trafficking in living animals is even higher than scalpers at the hospital.”

However, setting living animals free in the wild — including mammals, birds or turtles — requires approval from the forestry bureau, as such action could have a negative influence on the ecological balance.

On March 27, Beijing Evening News reported that 300 to 400 foxes and raccoon dogs were released from trucks in Huairou district, and the majority of the animals failed to survive and caused financial losses to residents. The animal activists have been ordered to compensate villagers in the district.

Ren Maodong, a member of the NPC Standing Committee, said this behavior harms wild animals and severe punishment should be written into the Law on Protection of Wildlife.