On the evening of December 21, 2021, Zhou Lei, a rehabilitation specialist at the Beijing Raptor Rescue Center, was walking near the Ming Tombs in Changping District, Beijing, carrying a heavy transport box.

She picked an open area and took out a half-meter-high eagle-owl of raptors from the box.

After inspecting it, Zhou Lei gently placed the eagle owl on the ground.

"Hula!" After 5 seconds, the eagle owl jumped up without looking back, rushed to the blue sky at an astonishing speed, and then disappeared into the dense forest in the distance.

The sun is slowly setting, and this nocturnal bird of prey is coming to its home...

　　In December 2021, the Beijing Raptor Rescue Center celebrated its 20th anniversary.

Since its establishment, this special "hospital" at Beijing Normal University has treated more than 5,500 raptors, of which more than 3,000 have returned to nature after recovery.

"Beijing Raptor Rescue Center has made great contributions to promoting the professionalization of wildlife rescue and biodiversity protection in my country since its establishment 20 years ago." Zheng Guangmei, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and an avian ecologist, commented.

Why Beijing wants to build a raptor 'hospital'

　　In the severe cold season, groups of gray starlings can be seen flying from time to time on the campus of Beijing Normal University, adding some fresh and flexible elements to the empty and lonely winter.

Crossing Furen Road and entering the biological garden at the northwest corner of the school, you will see the Beijing Raptor Rescue Center at the end of your sight.

　　Every season, the number of "sick numbers" in hospital is extraordinarily large.

4 rehabilitation specialists work in pairs on the two operating tables.

On the left operating table lies a peregrine falcon, which is suspected to be injured by high-speed flight, and the rehabilitationist is disinfecting and dressing the wound on its wing.

A kestrel with a fractured humerus was lying on the right operating table. In order to prevent it from struggling and causing secondary injuries, the rehabilitation specialist put a mask on it to release anesthesia, and then carefully checked the fixation of the bone pins, and finally changed the bandage for it. Return to recovery cage.

After this round of operations, the rehabilitationist looked at the schedule and picked up the injured long-eared owls and eagle owls from the cage without stopping to perform daily rehabilitation treatment for them.

　　According to Deng Wenhong, a professor at the School of Life Sciences of Beijing Normal University and the executive director of the Beijing Raptor Rescue Center, the center has formulated a scientific and complete process for the rescue and rehabilitation of raptors, including raptor reception, physical examination, rehabilitation treatment, nutritional support, rehabilitation training, and release. Pre-evaluation and post-flight monitoring, etc.

"No matter what kind of injury the raptor is injured, as long as it is sent to the Beijing Raptor Rescue Center, we will do our best to cure it before releasing it into nature."

　　Talking about why a raptor rescue center was set up, Deng Wenhong told reporters that it was related to the frequent raptor smuggling cases at that time.

Since the 1990s, many international bird traffickers have flooded into my country in the name of sightseeing and tourism, wantonly capturing and purchasing the national key protected wild animal safrel, and then illegally selling them overseas as pets for huge profits.

When the situation was at its worst, Beijing Customs was able to seize hundreds of smuggled hunting falcons at the Capital Airport a year.

So, how to arrange these rescued raptors becomes a problem.

"Many raptors were not suitable for a short-term release due to injuries, physical weakness, etc. At that time, there was a general lack of professional wildlife rescue agencies in China." Deng Wenhong emphasized.

　　With the acceleration of urbanization, the living environment of raptors also faces many challenges.

"There are many high-rise buildings in the city, and every year, birds of prey hit the glass of buildings and get injured; hunting by criminals poses a direct threat to birds of prey, and birds of prey will be poisoned twice by eating small birds poisoned by poachers; in addition, long-distance flight After encountering severe weather such as snowstorms, many raptors cannot fly due to excessive hunger. Fortunately, Beijing took the lead in establishing a professional rescue center, which provided a second life for many raptors.” Zhang Jinshuo, deputy director of the National Zoological Museum, said.

　　As Zhang Jinshuo said, in order to improve the professional level of wildlife rescue in Beijing, with the support of the gardening department, in December 2001, Beijing Normal University, the International Foundation for the Protection of Animals and the Beijing Wildlife Nature Reserve Management Station jointly established a domestic The first professional raptor rescue organization - Beijing Raptor Rescue Center.

　How Raptor Rescue Values ​​Ecosystems

　　Birds of prey include eagles, falcons and owls, all of which belong to the national first- or second-level key protected wild animals. The eagles and owls that people often say are general terms for them.

Beijing is an important node on the flight passage of raptors. Every spring and autumn, a large number of raptors travel south and north along the mountains in the west of Beijing, making full use of the rising thermal air to save energy.

Many raptors will choose to stay for a short period of time to forage for energy, and some raptors will stay here for the winter.

As a result, Beijing has become one of the few large cities that can appreciate the migration of birds of prey.

　　"Raptors are at the top of the bird food chain. They control the structure and stability of the animal community in the ecosystem from top to bottom through the trophic level, and play a regulatory role in the material cycle and energy flow in the ecosystem. Sex and service functions are crucial." Deng Wenhong said.

In his view, every individual raptor saved plays an important role in the ecological balance of Beijing and even a wider geographic scale.

　　对于猛禽康复师来说，从事这份工作最幸福的时刻，无疑是打开放飞箱让猛禽腾空而起的那一瞬间。2018年3月，救助中心成功放飞一只怀疑因中毒送医，从死亡边缘拉回的大鵟，并为它佩戴了跟踪器。放飞后，这只大鵟先是飞去了山西，随后北上内蒙古，最后到了蒙古国，在那里定居下来并成功繁育了后代。

　　“它能够在接受救治后重新回到野外，并迁徙到其他区域安家生子，证明在保护北京一时一地生态环境的同时，猛禽救助对生态系统的服务价值也跟随这一双自由翱翔的翅膀，播撒到世界各地。”周蕾说。

　　为了给猛禽重击长空提供更有力的保障，救助中心不断更新设备与技术。作为一名在救助中心工作了14年的老员工，康复师张率对这些年来的变化记忆犹新：2010年，中心配备了第一台呼吸麻醉机；同一年，康复师们学会了给鸟接骨；2014年，笼舍里安装了自动喷淋装置；2016年，中心购置了恒温手术床，猛禽在手术过程中不再怕失温；同一年，X光机更新了电子成像系统，不用洗片就能及时观察病情……

　　然而，再先进的设备也无法挽救所有的伤病猛禽。2018年，张率接救一只头部中了3发钢珠的普通鵟，刚拍完X光片还没来得及手术，这只鵟就死在她面前。“在迁徙高峰期，这样的生离死别几乎每周都会上演，我们最大的心愿是随着市民生物多样性保护意识的提高，需要被救助的猛禽数量越来越少。”张率说。

　　让救助中心发挥更大的作用

　　创立至今，向公众传播正确的野生动物保护和救助理念，始终是北京猛禽救助中心的宗旨之一。“一个救助中心、几名康复师的力量很有限，只有通过广泛的自然教育和普法宣传，让公众行动起来，我们的生物多样性保护才更有希望。”周蕾说。

　　20年间，救助中心针对在校学生、媒体、社会公众等不同群体，共组织包括课堂讲座、中心参观、野外观鸟、户外宣传及猛禽放飞等环境教育活动超过1000场。同时，还在新媒体平台通过图文、视频、漫画等多种形式，科普野生动物保护知识，在网络上圈了不少“铁粉”。

　　近年来，随着生态文明理念深入人心，救助中心的康复师们明显感受到北京市民对野生动物的态度转变。比如，最早去接受伤猛禽时，总有围观的市民会问：“这个鸟能吃吗？”现在再去，大家都会千叮咛万嘱咐：“城市里能有猛禽可不得了，你们一定要救活啊！”特别是这两年，救助中心从社区居委会接救的猛禽占比越来越高，其中很多都是市民发现伤病猛禽后主动与中心取得联系。

　　2021年11月8日，接到市民的求助电话后，记者同康复师第一时间赶到位于北京石景山繁华商圈的一座酒店。酒店工作人员孙美丽一早发现一只长耳鸮被困在酒店露台的玻璃围挡前无法动弹。意识到这是重点保护动物后，她第一时间把长耳鸮抱进宠物箱，并在箱子外盖上毛巾，以免鸟类产生紧张“情绪”。得益于孙女士及时而科学的先期处置，这只身体虚弱的长耳鸮很快入住救助中心并恢复健康，不到一周就被成功放飞。

　　与之相对的是，救助中心成立以来，因非法贸易被执法部门罚没送来的猛禽数量不断减少：从2002年30只、2005年32只、2007年53只，逐步降低到2013年26只、2016年4只、2020年0只——爱鸟护鸟，正成为北京市民的坚定共识。

　　在传播生态保护理念的同时，北京猛禽救助中心也为广大科研工作者提供了一座亟待挖掘的“富矿”。

　　“以往对猛禽做研究是有难度的，因为通过野外捕捉的方式获取研究对象不太现实。依托于中心救助的猛禽，2021年7月，我们的科研团队在国际期刊上发表了一篇基于昼行性猛禽和夜行性猛禽血孢子虫感染模式的比较研究，为猛禽寄生虫病防治和健康保障提供了重要参考。”邓文洪说。

　　目前，北京猛禽救助中心已与北京师范大学、中国科学院动物研究所、中国农业大学、首都师范大学等高校、科研院所合作，开展了血液寄生虫、神经系统、DNA鉴定、肌肉结构和肠道微生物等10余项研究课题，发表SCI论文30篇，为科学家深入了解、研究猛禽打开了一扇窗口。

　　“2022年，联合国《生物多样性公约》缔约方大会第十五次会议第二阶段会议将在我国昆明举行，北京猛禽救助中心的成功实践为国际社会树立了典范。为了达成扭转当前生物多样性丧失趋势，确保最迟在2030年使生物多样性走上恢复之路的宏伟目标，我们期待更多能够承担起野生动物保护、科普和科研使命的专业机构在全国甚至世界各地落地生根。”郑光美院士表示。

　　(本报记者 周梦爽)