(ECNS) -- Authorities have launched an investigation into the potential impact of a wind farm project in Zhangye, northwest China's Gansu Province, on wildlife after repeated sightings of Pallas's cats in the area sparked public concern about its environmental effects.
The Ganzhou branch of Zhangye's ecology and environment bureau said in a statement on Monday that it was working with forestry and grassland authorities to investigate concerns raised online that construction of the wind farm in Pingshanhu Mongolian Township could threaten wildlife habitats.
The project's environmental impact assessment was approved in March 2025, and construction began in July 2026. The assessment report stated that no key protected wildlife species were present in the project area.
However, conservation groups have repeatedly recorded Pallas's cats using infrared cameras deployed in the area over an extended period, suggesting the area may be an established habitat for the species, which is under second-class national protection in China.
A preliminary investigation found that the project had completed the required procedures for project approval, environmental impact assessment and land use, and that its site was outside nature reserves and areas protected by ecological conservation redlines, the bureau said, adding that the project complied with relevant regulations.
The Ganzhou branch of Zhangye's ecology and environment bureau said it had organized experts to review data on wildlife activity and assess the project's ecological impact. Local authorities would consider public feedback and take effective measures to protect wildlife in the area, it added.
(By Zhang Dongfang)
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