Uncaged: saving China’s songbirds from the poachers’ nets

In the forests on the outskirts of Beijing, birds hang silently from the trees, lifeless, entwined in nets. Bird poaching has become a silent epidemic across China, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of migratory birds each year. They are caught each spring and autumn as they pass through the country, flying between Siberia and South East Asia, and are captured for the pet trade and for consumption as food.

This documentary follows Gu Xuan, a young Chinese conservationist, determined to break this cycle of death and destruction on the bird populations he loves. In the nation’s capital, he single-handedly tracks down and confronts poachers as they illegally trap and sell birds. Risking his own safety in the face of abuse and intimidation, his determination and devotion to these animals drives him to continue, hoping for a day when they are fully protected.