Two Chinese wild sturgeons, a rare and endangered species, left
the Beijing Aquarium on Friday bound for the Yangtze River.
The sturgeons, identified as No 28 and No 32, have been in the
care of the aquarium for more than a year. Their last public
appearance on Friday drew a huge crowd of visitors.
Accompanied by five divers, No 28 swam to the bottom of the tank
scared by the flashing cameras and lights.
A diver comforted the fish by gently patting it on the back. It
was then transferred to a tank on a lorry where it was weighed and
measured.
A 22-hour drive will take the sturgeons to Jingzhou, central
China's Hubei Province for release into the Yangtze on Sunday,
World Earth Day.
The river has been home to the species for centuries.
The Chinese wild sturgeon, dubbed "panda under the water", is a
protected species.
Every June and July, shoals of matured sturgeon swim into the
Yangtze River from the sea. It takes them more than a year to
travel to the upper reaches of the river to spawn.
Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture show that the number
of wild sturgeons swimming to the river to reproduce has declined
since the 1980s, mainly because of pollution and over-fishing.
The two sturgeons to be released on Sunday were among five
injured and captured in Jingzhou between 2005 and 2006.
They were sent to the Beijing Aquarium for care, thanks to
cooperation between the aquarium and the Jingzhou-based Yangtze
River Fishery Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of
Fishery Science.
The sturgeons were looked after in surroundings similar to their
natural habitat. Special devices were installed to adjust water
temperature and to ensure water quality.
"When they first arrived, they shied away from the divers and
feeders and refused food," said Zhang Xiaoyan, assistant director
of the Aquatic Department of the Beijing Aquarium.
"We swam with them and patted their backs. And in time, managed
to establish a good relationship," Zhang said.
"Despite their size, sturgeons are really tame animals and easy
to get along with," she added.
To help the sturgeons re-adapt to their natural environment, the
aquarium has been training them to take food themselves, mainly
crucian carp.
The sturgeons have gradually recovered their physical strength
and No 28 and No 32 were found to be fit enough to be returned to
the wild.
Experts hope the release of the two sturgeons will help boost
the species.
The Yangtze River Fishery Research Institute will keep track of
them. The three remaining sturgeons will also be set free in due
time.
Hu Weiyong, the aquarium's general manager, said the facility
will set up a recovery center for more captured and injured Chinese
wild sturgeons.
(China Daily April 21, 2007)
