The number of green peacocks in a natural preserve of southwest China's Yunnan Province has increased from 20, 16 years ago, to more than 70 recently.

The rare birds were found living in the forest near the township of Qinghua in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in 1984,where they had disappeared for years, says a local zoologist.

The provincial government passed strict measures to protect the environment in the area, and the green peacocks gradually appeared in the area until the early 1980s.

In 1988, Qinghua made the peacocks' habitat a provincial natural protection area and about one hectare of land was set aside there to grow grain that serve as food of the peacocks under the guidance of specialists.

For the past years, the government and local farmers have made considerable efforts to protect the birds. All sporting guns and equipment for poaching have been destroyed by local people themselves and any persons involved in deforestation and poaching activities in the area will be strictly punished, said local officials.

(Eastday.com 01/17/2001)