Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fauna
It's hard to believe, especially when living in among the high-rises of Beijing, that the mu-
nicipality is home to hundreds of species of wildlife. China has the greatest number of an-
imal species in the world, and Beijing got its fair share of them. Birds alone account for
more than 400 species.
Despite the massive ongoing development of the city, these numbers have actually been
increasing in recent years. This is due not only to the general reforestation efforts but also
to the focus these projects have had on native plants and landscapes. The Olympic Forest
Park, for example, has been designed with a natural ecosystem in mind—it has marshlands,
grasslands, woodlands, and a lake. This and other such eco-friendly parks have dramatic-
ally increased the potential habitats for wildlife.
Typical birds that can now be seen around the municipality—beside the dominant spar-
rows and magpies—include the beautiful nuthatches and azure-winged magpies, herons,
swifts, swallows, mandarin ducks, and cranes. Mammals, such as hog badgers and macaque
monkeys, are also increasing in number. Around your apartment in the city, you might also
spot a weasel, particularly if you live around the
hútòng
(alleys) or Dongzhimen. If you do
see one, locals will tell you it's good luck. For some serious wildlife watching, you can also
head to Beijing Botanical Garden or farther afield to Chenjiapu valley (although, theoretic-
ally, here you would have crossed from Yanqing county over into Hebei).
Beijing's wildlife still faces many challenges, however, and not all species are increasing
in number. Pollution is still an issue, as is the ever-expanding urban girth. Many of the eco-
parks are not only isolated from each other but they're also manicured for human appre-
ciation rather than animal—short grass, tidy foliage, walkways for the increasing numbers
of tourists. Even the new sleek apartment complexes in the city lack the nesting potential
of the eaved buildings of earlier years. Additionally, Beijing residents are still not particu-
larly savvy about how to treat wildlife when they encounter it. There may be an increasing
understanding of and love for pet dogs, but when it comes to wildlife many people don't
understand the impact that touching or feeding has on the animals and their existence. All
these factors have led to a recent decline in the numbers of many species. Grass-roots asso-
ciations, such as the Beijing Birdwatching Society, are trying to tackle many of these issues
through education and research.
On another aspect of the wildlife topic, if you have nightmares of seeing unusual species
spiced up on Beijing menus, there's no need to worry. This is really a preference of south-
erners, and so, unless you're a guest at a designed-to-impress business dinner at a traditional
imperial restaurant, the most “exotic” thing you might see is donkey or bullfrog. Beijingers
