IN March in the Mangrove Nature Reserve on the coast of Shenzhen, about 100,000 migratory birds were enjoying their last moments of leisure before departing for their long flight to Australia.

The birds, including egrets, gulls and geese, basked in the sun on the beach or hovered over the sea, surrounded by 300 hectares of swamp in downtown Shenzhen. The number of bird species recorded in Shenzhen has grown from 280 in 2000 to 366 last year, according to the city bird-watching association. The trend is the direct result of the conservation and protection of the birds during the past 20 years.

Waters around Shenzhen were severely polluted as manufacturing grew in the late 1970s and early 1980s, causing numbers of migratory birds to dwindle. “If the reserve had fallen victim to commercial developers, we would have had nothing to save for future generations,” said Li Ming of the city forestry department.

On the frontline of reform and opening up, Shenzhen has contained its chaotic urban sprawl by drawing red lines and improving environmental protection, Li said. During the past 20 years, the city has restored over 200,000 square meters of lakes and planted nearly 40,000 square meters of mangroves.

A group of Shenzhen police protect the birds that stay in Shenzhen from October to March each year. Since 1990, the police contingent has planted about 300,000 mangroves trees, more than 90 percent of which survived. They have also rescued more than 1,800 birds, many of which were injured in storms and gales brought by typhoons. In 2017, the team rescued more than 200 migratory birds and have deterred illegal fishing, according to Liu Changlong with the border police.

Residents now enjoy the company of the birds, with more people joining bird-watching events every year. “Some cities have their iconic parks. We’re working to make the mangrove reserve ours,” Li said.(Xinhua)