'Bird guardians' connecting man and nature

BEIJING, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report by China.org.cn on "bird guardians" and China's efforts on ecological protection:

"You just need to call out a few times, and the silver pheasants will fly out of the forest to meet you." This charming scene can be found in Ziyun village, southeast China's Fujian province. Recent news reports about Yang Meilin, a "guardian" of the silver pheasant here, have received widespread attention online.

The silver pheasant is listed as a national second-class protected animal in China. Males are white with black markings and have a dark blue crest, resembling the image of the birds in Chinese mythology. Before news reports got out, Yang had already been friends with the pheasants for several years.

One day in 2010, several of the birds unexpectedly appeared on Yang's farm. As his dog tried to chase away the "uninvited visitors," Yang guided them to a nearby valley for feeding. Since then, observing and taking care of silver pheasants has become part of his life. Yang scatters grain in a valley hidden in the forest and then calls the birds out to feed. In addition, he also treats any silver pheasants he finds with minor injuries. Over the years, the birds have become completely relaxed around Yang.

With Yang's love and care, this silver pheasant family have grown from two or three at the beginning to more than ten. Bird lovers from around the country often make the long trip to this mountainous area to observe and photograph the silver pheasants, turning Yang into something of an online celebrity.

In fact, there are many ordinary people just like Yang across China who also help protect birds. Liao Kanglin, a resident of Kangding city in southwest China's Sichuan province, scatters grain near the trees around his house to attract Lady Amherst's pheasants, another national second-class protected animal. Eventually, the area became one of the first spots in China for observing and photographing these distinctive birds.

Through their voluntary work, these guardians have not only fed and protected birds, but also created a small paradise for themselves. Living in harmony with plants and other animals was not just the wish of ancient Chinese, it's also something many people aspire to today.

In recent years, many endangered species have been observed in China. Some have been removed from the endangered list, while new species have also been discovered. This spring, more than one million birds migrated through Beijing. Among them, the number of rare species — including swans, the oriental white stork and Baer's pochard ducks — is much larger than in previous years.

All these changes rely on every individual's efforts to protect the ecological environment. Birds singing in lush forests among green mountains, by clear waters — such harmonious scene is what Chinese people yearn for. Thanks to increasing efforts in ecological protection, such a wish is becoming reality in more and more places.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm

'Bird guardians' connecting man and nature
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2020-12/10/content_76997631.htm

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