A team of young rangers is bravely combating illegal logging and poaching in a harsh environment, helping protect the habitat of wildlife in a core area of northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park in Wangqing County of Jilin Province.
The team was established last October and comprises about a dozen young patrollers. They are tasked with safeguarding wildlife in the forest area that is home to roughly 20 Siberian tigers and more than 40 Amur leopards.
Zhao Ziyue, a wildlife ranger of the team, said they have developed special methods to protect themselves if they encounter dangerous animals in the forest.
"We stay still and then back away slowly. We don't turn around and run away with our back to the animal. Once we have kept a safe distance, we can set off things like firecrackers [to scare them away]," said Zhao.
As many of the rangers were in their 20s, Zhang Zhong, who has worked for over 30 years as a forest patroller and is now the coach of the team, accompanies the young men on every trip into the mountainous areas.
On a recent patrolling mission, the rangers found snares in the snow-covered forestland.
"When a roe deer is foraging, it walks and eats with its head down. Once its head gets caught by the snare, it will struggle forward, left, or right, and then its head or neck will get trapped tighter by the snare," said Zhang.
Spotting tiger footprints is also common for the rangers and Zhang said they found that tigers love walking on roads in winter.
"When it snows, tigers usually don't walk in the forest; instead, they walk on roads, because moving in deep snow will be harder in the forest," said Zhang.
Li Junxi, who is 23 years old and is the youngest ranger in the team, said helping protect the habitat of wildlife makes him feel a sense of responsibility.
"When I put on the police epaulet, I feel a stronger sense of responsibility, and it is my mission to protect this forest," said Li.
In just three months since its establishment, the rangers have assisted in solving 22 cases related to illegal logging and poaching and have rescued 31 wild animals.
Young rangers help protect wildlife in northeast China’s forests
