A pair of tawny fishing owls in Tangjiahe Area of the Giant Panda National Park in Guangyuan, a city of Southwest China's Sichuan province, on May 25. [Photo by Chen Limin]

A couple of tawny fishing owls were spotted in Tangjiahe Area of the Giant Panda National Park in Guangyuan, a city of Southwest China's Sichuan province, on May 25.

On the same day, a mother Eurasian otter and her cub were also found in the area.

A mother Eurasian otter and her cub are spotted in Tangjiahe Area of the Giant Panda National Park in Guangyuan, a city of Southwest China's Sichuan province, on May 25. [Photo by Wang Kaijin]

According to Chen Limin, an official with Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, both tawny fishing owls and Eurasian otters are rare wild animals.

Their appearance is a symbol of the rich freshwater resources of the area and an important indicator of the consistent improvement of the ecological environment of local rivers. It also demonstrates the extraordinary achievements made by the local government in the improvement of the ecological environment over the past decade.