The Chinese government has reportedly deployed 100,000 ducks to their border in anticipation of an impending locust invasion.
According to the State-run media outlets, the birds have been dispatched to the Xinjiang border where China meets Pakistan and India.
Videos obtained by China Global Television Network (CGTN) and shared on their social media pages showed hundreds of birds approaching the border town of Xinjiang.
“Duck troops gather at the border to face locust swarms,” the caption on the video by CGTN read.
“Duck troops” gather at the border to face locust swarms pic.twitter.com/1J4r3dmmJk
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) February 19, 2020
The locust invasion, which has been experienced in most countries, including Kenya, has caused havoc in India and Pakistan which now faces food shortage as most of their crops were destroyed.
The Pakistan government, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, declared a national emergency while in India, authorities have been buying drones and specialist equipment to monitor the movement of locusts and spray insecticides to ward off the outbreak.
The locust invasion has destroyed thousands of hectares of farmland in Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, affecting several million people already facing hunger.
According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the invasion is the worst in 25 years.
