An idea and idyll worth protecting
Rangers at Wuyishan national park keep the wildlife safe from the twin threats of fire and poachers, Yang Feiyue reports.
This not only expands the scope of inspections, but also ensures the safety of patrol team members, the park's management says.
The technology-empowered protection has led to a steady improvement in the quality of the local ecological environment, which has attracted many bird-watching enthusiasts and biological researchers.
Wen Gengyin is still reminiscing on his trip to Xianfengling in May.
He took photos of many rare birds there.
"It was my second trip to Mount Wuyi," Wen says.
"I was impressed by the green mountains, clear waters and various birds and insects here during my first visit a few years ago," Wen says.
"Coming back to Mount Wuyi this year, the environment has improved, and I've captured many birds that are not commonly seen in the city, which is delightful," he adds.
For Xu Zikun, he still vividly remembers the first time he spotted a male Teinopalpus aureus in 2011, a rare species of butterfly that is a national first-class protected insect.
More than a decade has passed, and Xu says he increasingly sees such rare creatures at the national park.
"In recent years, two new species, Megophrys ombrophila (an amphibian) and Gastrodia fujianensis (a plant), have been found in Wuyishan, while the number of newly discovered insect species exceeded 1,000," Xu says.
"It's proof of (improvement of) Mount Wuyi's ecological conditions," he says, adding that the area has served as a rare genetic repository for species worldwide.
