AQUATIC wildlife was found in pools in Wutong Mountain during a joint environmental investigation Monday morning, Shenzhen Evening News reported.

It was the first time for Shenzhen’s forestry bureau and ocean and fisheries bureau to jointly roll out an investigation on aquatic wildlife’s living environments.

The authorities’ joint operation was a reaction to a resident’s complaint reporting that many construction and household wastes were dumped near a stream in the mountain.

The resident worried that these wastes would destroy the freshwater environment, which is habitat to white cloud mountain minnow and Hong Kong warty newt, which are on the State level-II wild animal conservation list. The resident also reported this problem to the Luohu water authority.

The bureaus promptly took action to examine the reported dump, cooperating with Wutong Mountain Administration and the Ocean and Fisheries Development Center.

Ye Limin, deputy director of the administration, told the News that “As the highest peak in Shenzhen, Wutong Mountain possesses abundant terrestrial and aquatic wildlife and is home to many species under special State protection. We are trying our best to protect its ecological environment.”

The team found the illegal dump in a densely wooded area with several rare and endangered plants growing, like golden chicken fern and flying spider-monkey tree fern. The Luohu authority cleaned up the construction waste, hauled the leftover household waste and investigated the surrounding freshwater environment.

The team, with the help of experts, inspected white cloud mountain minnow communities and collected samples of a yet-to-be-classified common Wutong Mountain tiny shrimp.

Lin Xianguang, head of the research center, said that “We focused on marine wild animals and had less knowledge about freshwater wildlife. We will join hands with the forestry bureau to do more research (about the latter) and strengthen their protection in the future.” (Xia Yuanjie)