Central China's Hubei Province has intensified efforts to protect wild animals over recent years, particularly the two rare fauna species of milu deers and Yangtze finless porpoises, which are both under top-level state protection.
Milu deer is native to the swamps in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and gradually moved to other places over time. The species died out in China around 1900 due to wars and natural disasters, and was only brought back from Britain in 1985.
Known as the "giant panda of the water," the Yangtze finless porpoise is an important indicator of the health of the Yangtze River ecology. This species can only be found in the middle and lower main streams of the Yangtze River.
Zhang Rong, director of a documentary about the thriving ecological environment along the Yangtze River, has been photographing milu deers in the Shishou Milu Deer National Nature Reserve in Hubei for seven consecutive years with his colleagues, and has witnessed the significant growth of the two rare species populations.
During his most recent outdoor filming trip, Zhang spotted a little doe that his team had been following for four years.
"The little doe has a distinct characteristic. It is slightly smaller than other milu deers of the same age, and it always runs slower than others," Zhang said.
In 1991, experts selected the Tian'ezhou Wetland in Shishou to establish a nature reserve. With the continuous ecological environment improvements, especially along the Yangtze River, in recent years, the number of milu deers in the reserve has surged from 64 at the beginning to more than 3,800 now, and the number of Yangtze finless porpoises has also increased from 5 to 101.
"We need to protect wild animals and establish naturally reproducing populations without human intervention. Wild animals have their own world and you have yours. Our two worlds live in harmony, this is the best," Zhang said.
Over recent years, Hubei has vigorously promoted restoration of the river basin's ecological environment by implementing the five-level river and lake chief administrator system and forest chief administrator system, and promoting fishing bans, shore management, greening, and water revitalization in an integrated manner.
"The Yangtze finless porpoise is at the top of the food chain. If it has fish to eat, it means the whole ecology is good. Similarly, on our shore, the milu deers can reproduce healthily, which means the ecology of the tidal flat is also good. If these two sentinels live well, it means the water ecology and wetland ecology of this place are good," Zhang said.
Central China province protects rare animals with determined ecological restoration efforts
