BEIJING -- China announced Friday that it has upgraded the protection of 65 species of wild animals to the highest level, an official statement said Friday.

The move means that these endangered species, such as jackal and the Yangtze finless porpoise, will be under the strictest protection, according to the statement jointly released by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The country has two protection levels for wildlife under special state protection, according to the wildlife protection law. These 65 species were previously under class-two protection.