Rich wildlife inspires amateur photographer

Every day at 5 am, with the mist still lingering in the forests of Hunchun city in Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture, Jilin province, Gu Baochen picks up a sickle and patrols the forest along the barbed wire.

Gu, 71, has been based at Songlin village for over two decades.

Initially tasked with preventing wild animals from encroaching on the forestland, he has since transitioned into a faithful guardian, using strategically placed infrared cameras to monitor the thriving recovery of the ecosystem in the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park.

Located at the junction of Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces, the park serves as a stable habitat for Amur leopards and Siberian tigers, while Hunchun lies in the core area of the park.

After retiring in 2000 from the Changbai Mountain Forestry Industry Group as a forestry worker, Gu contracted over 106.7 hectares of forestland in the village to cultivate forest-grown ginseng.

To protect his ginseng crop, Gu erected a 1.8-meter-high barbed wire fence stretching for 6 kilometers, attempting to keep wild animals out. However, he found that deer always managed to breach the fence, and even when he raised it to 2 meters, it couldn't stop them from entering the fenced area.

After repeated fence repairs, Gu came to the realization that the forest was home to wild animals and decided to foster peaceful coexistence. He purchased several infrared cameras, initially intending to keep closer watch over his crop, but ended up unexpectedly capturing images of wild Siberian tigers.

"When the majestic yellow and black creature appeared on the camera screen, I couldn't contain my excitement," he said. "From then on, recording wild animals became the most important part of my life."

In 2014, Gu purchased professional photography equipment and began taking pictures of wild animals in the forest. When patrolling the forest, he always carries a sickle, not for cutting grass, but to strike tree trunks and make enough noise to alert any nearby tigers to his presence and avoid risky encounters.

The walls of his small wooden house are covered with images of the wild animals Gu has captured over the years, including a black bear gnawing on a carcass while an egret waits nearby, a fox following a tiger's tracks to scavenge leftovers, and a tiger and a raccoon dog within 2 meters of each other without disturbing each other. The most exciting moment for him was capturing a tiger trailed by her five cubs in March this year.

"Previously, I only recorded one tiger with four cubs, but this time, there was one tiger with five cubs," he said. "It shows that there is abundant prey and a truly improved ecological environment."

Over the years, Gu has taken hundreds of photos of wild animals and held photographic exhibitions, widening the audience for life in the wild. He has also given lectures to primary and secondary schools, as well as universities in the prefecture.

"When the children looked at the shining eyes of the tigers on the screen, they exclaimed 'wow'," he said. "For me, teaching the next generation to love animals and protect their homes can be considered a contribution."

Gu also set up a WeChat group where he shares his photographs.

His two granddaughters, one pursuing a graduate degree and the other just starting primary school, watch them every day. "When I first contracted the forestland, I hardly found wild animals," he said. "Since 2017, when the park pilot program began, squirrels, badgers, and raccoon dogs came back first, followed by sika deer, Chinese water deer, wild boars, and then tigers, leopards, black bears and brown bears."

Data from the park shows that there are 72 Siberian tigers and 115 Amur leopards living in the area, up from 27 and 42 respectively before the establishment of the park.

Their activity range spans more than 80 percent of the park and the survival rate of tiger and leopard cubs has increased from 30 percent to nearly 50 percent.

The number of Chinese mergansers reached over 600, an increase of nearly 300 compared to 2018.

"In front of my house, dozens or even hundreds of sika deer would be found gathering to forage in the morning," he said. "Nature is our common home. I would like to contribute to the conservation cause through my photography of wildlife in Hunchun."

Han Junhong contributed to this story.