Fear not a factor for protector of Hunchun's big cats

After nine years working to protect Siberian tigers in northeastern China's Jilin province, ranger Yang Jun says courage and passion, rather than knowledge and skills, are the most important qualities needed for the job.

Yang, head of the wildlife protection department in the Hunchun forestry bureau, had his efforts recognized by the Wildlife Conservation Society at its annual award ceremony in Beijing on Nov 30 when it named him a "wildlife protector". The international conservation organization also bestowed the honor on 33 other rangers and groups from around the country.

In the past decade, under the protection of local people, the population of the endangered Siberian tiger has increased from about 10 to 27 in Jilin, where the country's only national reserve specifically for Siberian tigers is located.