Ranger gets second chance with his trees

For Qiao Changsheng, 63, the dramatic change from getting satisfaction from hacking down more trees to devoting himself to guarding a natural forest was mostly a passive one at first.

Qiao, a former lumber worker in Hubei province's Shennongjia area, became a forest ranger there in 2000, when the government moved to protect the local forest resources.

Since then, the area has gradually changed from a famous "vast natural timber farm" into a national natural reserve and a popular tourist destination blessed with an attractive environment.