Hunting was banned in Shanghai's Fengxian district after the district was declared a wild animal sanctuary, the Oriental Morning Post reported.

Anyone found hunting in the district will be punished according to the law, and those who hunt more than 20 wild animals will face a criminal trial, Chu Kelong, director of the Fengxian Forestry Office, told the newspaper.

This is the first time that a whole district is declared a wild animal sanctuary in Shanghai. Parts of Pudong district and Chongming Island have been set as sanctuaries before.

An investigation in 2007 found about 240 terrestrial wild animal species living in the district, including 15 mammals, 208 avian species, some reptiles and amphibians, according to the report.

Among the species, there are birds under first-class State protection like the oriental white stork, and other protected birds such as the mandarin duck and Chinese egrets, Chu said.

People can call 021-67189220 and 67193591 to report illegal hunting in the area.