Pheasant set free after flying into Chongming resident's house

A pheasant that had lately flown to a resident's house in Chongming District in the Shanghai suburbs was later identified as a protected species and released back into the wild.

The woman, surnamed Li, put the pheasant in a cage and brought it to the neighborhood police station on Sunday and sough help.

"It is calm and quiet and came straight to me after getting into my house," Li told the police.

"I wanted to keep it and feed it, but I was concerned that it might be a protected species, so I brought it to the police station."

After consulting the local forestry department, the Chongming police determined that the pheasant was a ring-necked pheasant, which is a second-class protected animal in China.

The pheasant was carefully examined to ensure it was unharmed before being released in the wild.

Police have advised locals to call 110 or seek forestry officials' assistance if wild animals break into their residence.