Technology saves shepherds time and energy

February nights on the prairie in Angsu village are piercingly cold, but herder Bixirlt does not mind. Rather than getting up several times to check on his sheep, he just turns over in bed and uses his smartphone to check.

Eight cameras Bixirlt bought last year help the family monitor 2,200 square meters in Ordos, Inner Mongolia autonomous region. A long-focus camera is able to spot fires and thieves within 5 kilometers.

"The sheep are about to give birth, so we must keep a close eye on them," Bixirlt, 40, said.