(ECNS)— A steppe eagle under first-class state protection in China was rescued Tuesday by residents and police in Tacheng, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, after being found injured and unable to fly near a village road. 

Qibalagashi Border police officers rescue a steppe eagle in Tacheng, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 21, 2026. (Screenshot from video of China News Network)

The Qibalagashi Border Police Station received a report on Tuesday that an injured wild bird had been found beside a road near a village and was unable to fly.

Officers from the Qibalagashi Border Police Station arrived with rescue equipment and transported the bird to the station for temporary care before contacting forestry and grassland authorities. 

The eagle was later transferred to a wildlife rescue center for professional treatment and rehabilitation. It will be released back into the wild once it has fully recovered and is capable of surviving independently.

(By Helen Mo, intern Wu Jingjing)