The practice of releasing captured animals into the wild is believed by some Buddhists and Taoists to bring good karma. Photo: IC

A recent article in the Beijing Evening News reporting an unusually high incidence of people bitten by poisonous snakes in Beijing's public parks has put public scrutiny on a centuries-old Buddhist and Taoist practice of releasing captive animals into the world. 

The practice, known as "mercy release," is based on the belief that releasing captured animals will build good karma and bring good future to the person performing the deed. Dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC), practitioners of the ritual, either individually or in groups, will typically take captive animals to the site where they will be released. After a short ceremony involving religious incantations, the animals will be freed into the wild. Animals that are commonly released include birds, fish and snakes.

"Mercy release is a cleansing of one's mind," said Steve Shi, a 29-year-old Buddhist who lives in Beijing. "Because all lives are equal, you need to let them live and be spared from killing."

In recent years however, animal rights and environmental groups such as the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) have raised growing concerns about the practice.

"Uninformed mercy releases are equal to murder," said Zhou Lei, an employee at one of IFAW's Beijing rescue centers.

In addition to the risk that releasing animals in public parks and reservations might pose to visitors, Zhou said that releasing animals into the wild without an adequate understanding of either the animal or the habitat they are releasing the animal into could be harmful to both.

According to international non-profit organization Humane Society International, the hundreds of millions of animals that are mercy released risk being injured, suffocated or starved in transit. They can also become easy prey upon release, or damage the ecosystem they are released into by threatening the survival of other species.

Fish, turtles and birds are among the animals commonly freed as part of the practice of "mercy release," but environmental groups warn that an inadequate understanding of animals and their habitats could lead to detrimental effects for both. Photos: IC, CFP

An act of compassion

Mercy releases can be made all year round, but are especially prominent during traditional Buddhist and Taoist festivals, such as the Zhongyuan Festival earlier this month.

In Beijing, popular release sites include Tanzhe Temple in Mentougou district and public reservations and parks on Beijing's outskirts, such as Fragrant Hills in Haidian district and Badachu Park in Shijingshan district. Captured animals are most often bought from shops and street markets.

Shi, a committed practitioner of the ritual, frequently purchases turtles, carp and sparrows to release in Tuanjiehu Park in Chaoyang district or at Tanzhe Temple.

"Fish [that have been released] will joyfully jump out of the water," said Shi. "They will start trying to jump out of the tanks when I walk near them at the market. They are spiritual animals."

Xian Gui, 48, a high school teacher who has been a practicing Buddhist for 20 years, said that she believes mercy releases are a positive influence on society.

"By performing the ritual, people will naturally come to respect and love Buddha. From this, they will gradually start performing other good deeds."

A commercial venture

However, both believers who practice of mercy release and conservation groups have expressed concern at the growing commercialization of the practice.

A report in the Taipei Times, citing a study conducted by the Environmental and Animal Society Taiwan, stated that the industry around mercy releases makes an annual profit of 37 million yuan ($6 million) in the region. On Taobao, China's largest online retailer, there are even services that offer to release captured animals on the buyer's behalf.

Shi said that there are vendors who catch and sell animals specifically for the purpose of being mercy released. In particular, she took issue with retailers who sold birds at temples.

"They catch the birds that people have released, and then sell them again [to be 'released']," said Shi.

A related issue, said Xian, were people who released animals into the wild only hoping that it would bring them prosperity and good luck, thus distorting the meaning of the act.

It is common in China for people to post pictures of themselves performing mercy releases on social media platforms such as Sina Weibo as evidence of their "good deed." 

"It should be spontaneous and natural, and not purely for their own profit," said Xian.

"Some people are very single-minded. They release animals because they hope it will bring riches or long life to themselves or their families. To me, this is not a real mercy release."

"When you perform a mercy release, you need to be circumspect," Xian added. "One of the basic tenants of Buddhism is selflessness."

Zhou was far more direct about the issue.

"Purchasing [animals to be mercy released] actually stimulates and encourages the hunting and trading of wild animals, which does more harm than good," said Zhou. "It's estimated that behind every living bird that people purchase from the market, there will be 10 that have died during capture, transportation or sale."

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush?

Of much greater concern to animal rights and conservation groups is the potential damage of mercy releases to the animals themselves, as well as to other animals living in the environments in which they are released.

At the end of last month, the Legal Mirror reported that thousands of fish that had been released into the Tonghui River were floating dead because the temperature of the water was not suited to the breed of fish that had been released. In another incident reported in the Beijing Times last August, crowds of onlookers awaited the mercy release of a large number of fish, so they could wade it and procure the fish to be eaten.   

Zhou said that many people who practiced mercy release did not have a proper understanding of the animals they were releasing.

"If they are forcibly 'released' into the wild, it will only accelerate their deaths, or the risks of predation," said Zhou. "For example, some residents forcibly 'release' turtles that are land-bound into rivers, an environment that they cannot survive in. They 'release' thousands of snakes into ecosystems where they'll cause great damage, not to mention creating panic among local residents."

Zhou further noted that animals purchased to be released often suffered injury or illness due to stress or fear during capture, transport, and trading.

People are the problem

Both the Ministry of Agriculture and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture have guidelines restricting the types of animals that can be released as well as the places they can be released into.

Regulations put in place by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture permit nine species of fish to be released in the city's waters, including black carp, grass carp and loach. The releasing of fish is only permitted in the Haizi reservoir in Pinggu county, Zhaitang reservoir in Mentougou district,  Beitaishang reservoir in Huairou district and Shisanling reservoir in Changping district.

Violating the regulations carries a fine of 50 to 5,000 yuan, but many who practice mercy release are not even aware that such regulations exist.

To promote a greater awareness of the regulations and to inform the public of how they might practice the ritual of mercy release more responsibly, the State Administration for Religious Affairs held a seminar at the end of last month. Representatives from governmental authorities, religious associations, and animal protection organizations gave talks, and the event was supported in a press release by the Buddhist Association of China encouraging followers to educate themselves about the natural habitat of species and the possible consequences on the ecosystem of the place they are performing mercy releases before engaging in the practice.

 However, Zhou said that it was often quite difficult for laymen to get an adequate grasp of all the factors involved, and suggested that if people were determined to engage in the practice of mercy release, they should consult the proper organizations.

"I would advise citizens to contact animal and wildlife protection organizations, and participate in their initiatives," Zhou said.