SHANGHAI: Parks here are being overrun by alien species, says the Shanghai municipal gardening administration bureau after inspecting 18 parks in the city.

For example, bird observers found Styan's squirrels in Gongqing Forest Park and Zhongshan Park and red-eared sliders in Xuhui Park and Kangjian Park.

Red-eared slider turtles, a species said to originate in Brazil, are an internationally recognized ecological invader. They grow quickly and survive easily, according to Professor Li Yingsen from Shanghai Maritime University.