Police bust wildlife crimes, one suspect arrested in Hainan

HAIKOU - Forest police in South China's island province Hainan recently busted several cases related to wild animals poaching and trade and arrested one suspect, the provincial public security department said Monday.

The department said it has launched a special operation to inspect marketplaces, flower and bird markets, restaurants, breeding sites for wild animals and their habitats, in a bid to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus pneumonia through illegal wildlife trading.

Forestry police in the city of Wanning said a suspect, surnamed Huang, caught a rare and endangered python, which is under state protection, and kept it on a farm.

In Ledong Li autonomous county, local police cracked a case of the illegal killing of an osprey and an illegal purchase of a macaque, both of which are also under state protection.

Wenchang police discovered that a suspect surnamed Xing, transported and killed wild animals. A total of 36 frozen Eurasian coots were found in Xing's home, and 88 live Eurasian coots were discovered on his duck farm.

A total of 97 red-eared slider turtles were seized by police in a marketplace in Dingan county.

China will continue to crack down on any form of illegal wildlife trade amid the coronavirus outbreak, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation. All trading of wild animals has been suspended nationwide to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.