Last stand of the great green peacock

A researcher's efforts in successfully finding a threatened species' hidden haven gives it a better chance of surviving

It was a single feather in the palm of Gu Bojian's hand that got him going. That feather, he realized, was from a green peacock, an endangered species once found throughout China and culturally well known but that it is now on the verge of extinction.

That, of course, means that very few Chinese will have ever laid their eyes on this magnificent bird.