A day in the wilds of Yunnan leaves me itching for home

Days after returning from reporting encounters between humans and elephants in subtropical Yunnan province, I am still constantly scratching insect bites, which are scattered all over my body.

As I scratch away, I remember the work being done by elephant monitors, police officers and forestry and grassland administration officials. They often have to toil round-the-clock to monitor elephants, helping to minimize their conflicts with humans by sending early warnings to residents.

I was outdoors for only a day, but it's common for these teams to do such work for days, with little sleep.

My time with Wu Junhui, a drone operator who monitors wild elephants in Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture, was unforgettable. After joining him at about 11 am on Aug 10, the first problem I had was with those pesky insects.

To prevent insects from entering, Wu, who was catching up on some sleep in his off-road vehicle, left the window only slightly open, which worked to a certain extent, but it still felt stuffy.

Few cars or trucks passed through the area, where only the rustling of leaves could be heard for most of the time, but the vehicles that did appear at least produced a little breeze, making it feel cooler momentarily.

I was soon so hot that I had to leave Wu's vehicle to get some fresh air, only to find that flying insects welcomed the arrival of a sweaty visitor.

They swarmed round my head, constantly buzzing. My efforts to repel them by waving my arms were no use at all.

I became excited after discovering a big leaf that I thought would drive the insects away, but this also failed to do the trick, so I had no choice but to succumb to their bites.

As night fell, the insects stopped buzzing round my head, but they still attacked all the time. I don't know how they did it, but they seemed to have the ability to bite clothed areas of my body. Wu, who is used to this problem, often has to sleep in his vehicle.

I miss my 16-month-old son if I don't see him for some time, but it's not unusual for Wu to work for a month without returning home to his wife and 2-year-old daughter.

I think the dedication of grassroots monitors such as Wu reflects the central authorities' determination to protect wild animals and to promote environmental awareness.

As I discovered in Nanha, a rural community in Mengla county where Wu monitored a rogue elephant, the central leadership's philosophy on green development has started to take root.

When I asked senior resident Li Shuncai for his opinion on elephant protection, he quoted the words of President Xi Jinping, "Lucid water and lush mountains are invaluable assets."

Li added, "It is illegal to cut down trees and hurt animals in the nature reserves."

With the dedication of people such as Wu and the increasing awareness of those like Li, I believe China can succeed in realizing a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.