A buzzard is released into the wild on Nov 30 on the outskirts of Beijing. [China News Service] Two injured buzzards were released into the wild on Nov 30 after being nursed back to health at the Beijing Raptor Rescue Center in the Jiufeng National Forest Park, on the outskirts of the capital. GPS tracking data on Tuesday showed one of the birds of prey had flown to southern Henan province, while the other reached a county south of Shijiazhuang in Hebei province. The common buzzard is a wildlife species accorded second-level State protection. Yet they are still the target of poachers. Zhou Lei, who works at the rescue center, said one of the birds, which was sent to the center by citizens on Oct 12, had a slingshot pellet in its body. The other, received on Nov 16, had wounds to its mouth, chest and feathers. If a raptor has to be sent to our center that generally means it is terminally ill and we only have a small chance of saving it, Zhou said. He said the untamed nature of such birds makes them difficult to treat. Sometimes they tear off bandages just after we wrap them up. We had to make an Elizabeth collar for one, he said, referring to the conelike headgear often seen on injured cats and dogs. Before release, the center fitted the buzzards with GPS trackers, enabling its workers to monitor the birds' flight altitude and geographic coordinates. If we find that the buzzard is no longer moving, we search for it, as we may need to rescue it again, he said. Deng Wenhong, executive director of the rescue center and a professor at Beijing Normal University, said the solar-powered GPS trackers are made in China and weigh 17 grams. They can recharge as many as 500 times with direct light, oblique light and weak light. After the battery is depleted in two or three years, they automatically drop off. Raptors are at the top of the food chain, Deng said. They are the 'dominators' and 'regulators' of other species, critical to maintaining the stability of ecosystems. By tracking them, we not only learn their life-history traits, but also the characteristics of other species within their territory. About 80 percent of the 4,475 birds of prey helped by the rescue center last year were injured. Almost 15 had received wounds from nets, air guns or slingshots used by poachers. Other causes of injury included eating poisoned mice and hitting glass window panes. The two buzzards were lucky to be found early and receive professional treatment. But they still face the danger of being caught or killed, Zhou said. It is crucial to raise the awareness of citizens to protect and help raptors. It is unrealistic for rescue centers to organize patrols for injured animals. Qiu Weiyi contributed to this story. minecraft bracelet bulkcustom rubber wristbandscustom livestrong braceletstrio spinnerspersonalized silicone bracelets
HANGZHOU - Police in East China's Zhejiang province have detained 18 suspects in connection to activities of the "Almighty God" cult. Police in Changxing County caught the suspected cult members following an investigation. Police also confiscated laptops and books used by the cult for dissemination of information. "Almighty God," known in Chinese as Quannengshen, grabbed national headlines in 2014 with viral videos showing five of its members beating a woman to death at a McDonald's in the eastern city of Zhaoyuan, condemning her as an "evil spirit" after she refused to give them her mobile phone number for recruitment purposes. First appearing in the 1990s in central China's Henan Province, Quannengshen claims that Jesus has been resurrected as Yang Xiangbin, who is the wife of the cult's founder Zhao Weishan, also known as Xu Wenshan. The couple fled to the United States in September 2000. According to Dong Jianfeng, a police officer from Changxing County, most of the apprehended suspects showed signs of depression. "Some of them are divorced and do not seem to know how to vent their suppressed emotions," Dong said. "Some of their families have experienced bad accidents and caused them to become depressed." According to initial investigations, the cult's financial sources mainly came from "donations" from its members. The higher the donation, the more rights a member obtained. More donations allowed members access to higher positions within the cult, according to police. "Every member was willing to donate their money, and the amounts ranged from 10,000 yuan (1,481 US dollars) to tens of thousands of yuan," Dong said. "The cult's 'leaders' imposed spiritual control over the members," Dong said. "They were told that as long as they gave donations, the Almighty God would keep their illness at bay." Of the detained suspects, eight have been "re-educated" and denounced their cult beliefs, police said.
