An injured night heron. [Photo provided to etaizhou.gov.cn]
A local staff member and a wildlife protection volunteer rescued an injured night heron in Dainan town, Xinghua, Jiangsu province, on Aug 24, after another volunteer reported it.
The reporting volunteer spotted the bird in a river. It appeared injured and unable to fly, so he called the police for help.
The staff member, who works for the town's economic development and rural work office, was alerted by the police command center. He gathered his rescue gear and set off with his neighbor, who was a wildlife protection volunteer and an experienced rower. By the time they arrived, it was dark. They borrowed a small boat and rowed out to the bird.
They identified the bird as a night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), a nationally protected species. The bird had a head wound and was then sent overnight to the wildlife protection station at Taizhou Zoo for treatment.
Dainan town plans to expand public outreach on wildlife protection and encourage residents to take part in protecting local ecology and biodiversity.