Guangzhou wildlife projects unaffected

Wildlife conservation plans in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, remain unaffected by the recent outbreak of the H7N9 bird flu virus in eastern and northern China, officials say.

Lian Junhao, director of the office of wildlife protection and management under the city's forestry and gardening administration, said Guangzhou still plans to set up two more wild and migrant bird sanctuaries before the end of the year.

Fight against H7N9 bird flu

"Guangzhou has strict quarantines before birds and animals are released back into the wild, and wildlife habitats are sterilized monthly," Lian was quoted as saying by Guangzhou Daily.

"So there is no need to adjust our wildlife plans for Guangzhou," he said.

According to Lian, Haizhu and Baiyun lakes in the Haizhu and Baiyun districts will become sanctuaries for wild or migrating birds this year.

Various areas in the southern metropolis — which has warm weather and many wetlands and forest parks — are considered ideal habitats for wild birds in the winter. Large numbers of migrant birds from northern China stop in the city.

"No wildlife has been found dead or sick since last fall in any of the city's 19 monitoring stations, located in urban areas and the outskirts of the city," added Lian who is an expert in wildlife protection.

To prevent the H7N9 virus from spreading in Guangdong — which borders Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions — the province's department of forestry has issued an emergency notice to city departments to expand patrols and immediately isolate any area where sick or dead wild birds or poultry are found.

By the end of Wednesday, Guangdong had reported no H7N9 bird flu cases, according to sources at Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Prevention and Control.