Wildlife database to improve efficiencies

An electronic wildlife database, which will include completing the task of tagging the Shanghai's 756 endangered animals with individual serial numbers, is slated for completion by the end of the year to improve management efficiencies and overall care for the animals, local authorities said Thursday.

The essential data for the 43 species of endangered animals - including 409 first-grade nationally protected animals, such as pandas, Manchurian tigers and red-crowned cranes - will be stored in the electronic database, according to the city's wildlife conservation management station.

"The data we're looking to store contains the animal's history, age and reproduction records," an officer from the wildlife station, who preferred not to be named, told the Global Times Thursday.

"Having the details readily available should help improve the overall quality of care for animals," he added. "It will also make cooperation with related authorities much easier since there will be convenient access to such information."

The project will also see that all of the city's endangered animals are identified with coded chips, half of the animals have already received them, mostly through injection to the buttocks or upper thigh, since workers started the process in 2006, said the officer.

"The animals aren't harmed from the chips, and the form of identification has proved helpful in looking after the animals," he added.