Xinhua reports today from Wuhan:
Shennangojia in Hubei Province
Twenty-three unique new plant species have been found over the past five years in the mysterious Shennongjia Nature Reserve in central China’s Hubei Province, a researcher said Wednesday. “We are pretty much sure that the new species, which have not been discovered elsewhere in the world, are new members of the plant kingdom,” said Yang Jingyuan, head of the reserve’s research institute.
The new discoveries showed the “gene pool” of plants and animals was still expanding, said Yang. Researchers had identified 143 previously undocumented plant species in Shennongjia since 2006, excluding the 23 new varieties that are unique to the area, he added. Scientists had also discovered 16 kinds of snakes and 270 kinds of insects that were new to Hubei Province. The number of albino animals, including bears, snakes and magpies, found in the reserve have also baffled scientists.
The area is also believed to be home to the legendary Bigfoot-like ape man. The Hubei Wild Man Research Association said earlier this month that it was considering launching a high-profile search for the elusive creature, almost 30 years after the last organized expedition to seek the legendary beast in the early 1980s.
Shennangojia Nature Reserve : image http://english.cnhubei.com
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