In the northwest of Yunnan Province, southwest China, lies Derung and Nu Autonomous County. Police officers and black-crowned night herons in the county have the story of a chance encounter to tell.

In the early morning of September 9, returning from a call-out, the police found an injured bird lying in the middle of the road. The officers took it back to the police station to care for it. Experts later identified the bird as a black-crowned night heron. 

Just two days later, two other night herons "visited" the police station. On the morning of September 11, a farmer spotted a night heron struggling to fly in the river. When the police arrived, they found that the wing of the night heron was hurt, so they took the bird back to the police station to disinfect and dress the injury. That evening, another wounded night heron was found while the police were on patrol. 

The three night herons that "stumbled into" the police station will return to the wild after recovering from treatment.

The black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) has an extremely large range and can be found in many parts of China. It inhabits trees, usually in bamboo forests near rivers or in low mountains and hilly areas. During daytime, it often hides in the swamp, scrub or forest. It is usually active in mornings and evenings.

Derung and Nu Autonomous County is rich in biodiversity. It is home to part of the Gaoligong Mountains, a national nature reserve and a key area of terrestrial biodiversity of international significance. 

The county has worked to protect biodiversity, publicized relevant laws and regulations on wildlife and plant protection, encouraged the public to participate in wildlife protection, and committed to promoting harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at nature@cgtn.com.)