A bird that almost killed mighty China! Yes, just a few Years back.

A bird that almost killed mighty China! Yes, just a few Years back.

May 12, 2025

Once upon a time, in China, there were so many sparrows that they were considered pests. In fact, these tiny birds were believed to be a nuisance to farmers as they ate up grains and seeds, and caused damage to crops. So, the Chinese government came Read more

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A bird that almost killed mighty China! Yes, just a few Years back.

Once upon a time, in China, there were so many sparrows that they were considered pests.

In fact, these tiny birds were believed to be a nuisance to farmers as they ate up grains and seeds, and caused damage to crops.

So, the Chinese government came up with a brilliant plan to get rid of these small sparrows.

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, they declared war on the tiny birds and ordered a mass killing of the entire sparrow population in the country.

The campaign against sparrows was particularly brutal. The government encouraged citizens to kill sparrows by any means necessary and offered rewards for their capture. As a result, millions of sparrows were killed in a matter of months.

Now, you may be thinking, "what's wrong with that?"

Well, let me tell you, these little birds were actually quite important.

Sparrows are not just cute little birds that chirp in the morning. They are natural pest controllers that keep the insect population in check. Without sparrows, the insect population would explode, leading to crop damage and the spread of diseases.

But the Chinese government was too focused on getting rid of the sparrows to see the bigger picture. They encouraged people to kill sparrows by any means necessary, including using nets, poison, and even banging pots and pans to scare them away.

With the sparrow population decimated, the insect population exploded, causing widespread damage to crops. In some areas, the damage was so severe that famine resulted, leading to the deaths of nearly 7 crore of people.

But then something unexpected happened.

The Chinese realised that they had made a terrible mistake.

Without the sparrows to keep the insects in check, the crops were being destroyed at an alarming rate. And so, the Chinese government did what any sensible government would do - they imported 2,50,000 sparrows from Russia to bring the ecosystem back into balance.


Yes, you heard that right.

China killed off its own sparrows and then had to import them from Russia. Talk about a dunce move! But, the good news is that the sparrows were eventually reintroduced to China and their population has since stabilized.

So, the next time you see a sparrow, remember that these tiny birds play a crucial role in our ecosystem.

And let's hope that no government decides to repeat China's mistake and declare war on these feathered friends.

In conclusion, the story of China killing sparrows and then importing them from Russia is a cautionary tale about the unintended consequences of human actions.

It shows us that even small changes to ecosystems can have far-reaching impacts and underscores the importance of protecting and preserving our natural world.

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