Golden eagles, a rare species protected by the State, were last week spotted hunting around a forest farm in Tai'an, Liaoning Province. It is the first time the birds have been sighted in the area for two decades.

A forest ranger surnamed Wu said he first saw a pair of eagles last week circling over the farm, which is the largest forest park in the province. "I have seen them several times since swooping down to pick up geese, ducks, foxes and hares," he said. He put the return of the birds down to the rehabilitation of the local ecosystem.

(File photo: golden eagle)

(Shenyang Daily May 16, 2007)