ChineseToday | Young guardians of rare birds

YANCHENG, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The Jiangsu Yancheng Wetlands and Rare Birds National Nature Reserve is located on the coast of the Yellow Sea. It serves as a sanctuary for rare and endangered wildlife, particularly the red-crowned crane, and protects the vital tidal wetland ecosystem on which these animals depend. In 2024, the reserve successfully bred 61 red-crowned cranes through artificial incubation.

Here, a dedicated group of young professionals work tirelessly in wildlife rescue, ecological monitoring, and the management of wetlands. With passion and expertise, they safeguard both the animals and their habitats.

Wang Zhen, 29, is an assistant engineer at the reserve's administration office. He is mainly responsible for monitoring zoonotic diseases among terrestrial wildlife, rescuing endangered species such as red-crowned cranes and oriental white storks, and overseeing the artificial breeding and taming of red-crowned cranes.

Li Peizhen, 31, works in the resource survey and monitoring section of the reserve's administration office. Through systematic monitoring, she provides data support for the reserve's sustainable development.

Gu Jialin, 27, is the head of the Tinghu management station under the reserve's administration office. He is in charge of wetland conservation and management.

In 2019, China's Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf (Phase I) were inscribed on the World Heritage List as a natural site, with the Yancheng reserve being a key component of this site. The reserve also integrates environmental education into its daily work, regularly organizing activities such as the "Little Crane Classroom" to involve the public in ecological protection.

Photographers: Han Chuanhao, Zhang Nan, Bei He, Yang Guanyu, Li Yibo, Hou Dongtao, Meng Chenguang, Chu Jiayin■