Airport authorities in south China's Foshan city, Guangdong province, have confiscated 60,000 frozen wild birds which were transferred from Beijing.

The provincial forestry department received an anonymous call Thursday morning, reporting a case of illegal transportation of wild birds that are under national protection.

The department conducted a thorough check of the cargo on Flight KN5859 when it landed at 1 p.m.

Around 60,000 frozen wild birds were found in 28 boxes.

The person in charge of picking up the birds has been detained.

He claims that they are not aware that the items are protected animals. And they have only got a delivering address and don't know the owner.

Why 28 boxes weighing over one ton got on the plane remains a mystery for the moment. And the whereabouts of the owner is also unclear.

The wild birds are believed destined for the dining table. Some people believe that eating wild animals is beneficial to their health since wild animals are naturally grown with no artificial additives.

Experts say the idea is not backed by science and wild animals may carry diseases.

Further investigation is now underway.

According to Chinese law, those convicted of illegally purchasing, transporting, and selling endangered animals and such products could face up to 10 years in prison.