Chinese national park rescues 40,000 stranded fish

XINING -- Hundreds of people in Northwest China's Qinghai province have saved around 40,000 fish stranded in the Three-River-Source National Park after nearly a week of rescue efforts.

In late May, park rangers found the fish, many of which were migrating to lay eggs, stranded in a 7-km section of Karqu River in Qumalai county due to insufficient flow, said Chosang Dorje with the park administration.

The local government and park administration sent workers to transport the fish by vehicle to different parts of the river kilometers away. Local rangers, volunteers and herders also joined the operation.

Rescue efforts lasted for nearly a week, with most of the stranded fish saved.

"Some of the stranded fish belong to endangered species found only in the Sanjiangyuan area," Dorje said.

Sanjiangyuan, which means the "source of three rivers," is home to many rare wildlife species, including the snow leopard, Tibetan antelope, white-lipped deer and Tibetan wild donkeys.

China is setting up a national park system and has piloted 10 national parks across the country, with the Three-River-Source National Park being the first, to protect the natural environment and endangered species.