Young egrets drop dead en masse in E China

A dead young egret is seen in a paddy field at the foot of Qianmen Mountain, usually known as an egret's paradise, in Xuanci village, Yinjiang town of Ningbo city, East China's Zhejiang province, July 12, 2011. There have been constant egret deaths in the area this month, fueling speculations on the mysterious cause. After a joint investigation, the local forestry and animal husbandry bureaus as well as veterinarians have ruled out the possibility of a disease epidemic, attributing the deaths to hot weather, food shortages and falls from nests as young birds scramble during feeding. The public forestry bureau has beefed up security measures to help the troubled species. [Photo/Xinhua]