Princess Beaver's wildlife diary

Editor's note: Beavers are known as nature's architects and engineers. They build dams that are instrumental in restoring wetland ecosystems and protecting biodiversity. Chu Wenwen, a young wildlife conservationist, has raised the rodent's profile on the Internet, and her story has inspired thousands of young people. In this episode of China Talk, you will discover Chu Wenwen's life and work in the wild as she seeks to awaken a passion for ecology in China's young generation. 

Hello and welcome to China Talk. I am Chu Wenwen, a conservationist from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China. And I'm the founder of the Altay Nature Conservation Association. My hometown, the Altay Prefecture, is a land of great biodiversity. It's home to a rich variety of flora and fauna.

I grew up surrounded by wild animals. I enjoyed observing them leaping, running and resting in their natural habitat. It's always been part of my life to be close to nature and to respect nature. There's always a yearning in me to do something useful for my hometown, and for the animals and plants that I am so familiar with.

So, in 2018, I set up our association. Three years later, with help from the local government and supporters across the country, we founded the first ever professional wildlife rescue center in the region. Our mission is to provide treatment and rehabilitation to wild animals, and then release them into the wild. In the five years since the founding of our organization, we have managed to help 291 animals.

This brown bear, Neng Neng, was the 137th animal we have rescued. When Neng Neng was found by a small river, the bear cub was so skinny. She could barely hang onto life. She was thought to be about five months old. Usually, a bear cub lives with the mother until it's two years old. But the mother bear was nowhere to be seen. Without any help, this cub would die before long. So Neng Neng was brought to us.

She was diagnosed with neuritis, poisoning and severe malnutrition. To make it easier for her, we had to hide the medicines inside the food she liked. We also prepared snacks to increase her nutrient intakes. Thanks to our care, Neng Neng could pretty soon stand up on her own, although a bit wobbly at the beginning. Her appetite also improved. Before long, she gained weight and became a healthy cuddly fluffy bear.

To help Neng Neng return to the wild, we came up with a rewilding plan together with the local forestry and grassland authorities. Little by little, Neng Neng learned how to catch fish and pick berries, as well as other survival skills through games we designed for her. In time, Neng Neng was getting ready to be reintroduced to her natural habitat.

In July 2022, 10 months into our custody, Neng Neng passed all rewilding assessments. She was ready to be released. We had pangs of mixed feelings. We were all sad to say goodbye to her, but we were also tremendously proud of what she had learned during the time she spent with us. I remember it was a really nice day, and the sky was blue. Neng Neng stood in the breeze. She turned back and looked at us, with what seemed like a smile, and then disappeared in the dense forest. Such a bitter sweet moment. After all, loving the wild animals but from a distance, isn't that the best approach towards conservation? Neng Neng was the first brown bear rescued and released in China in strict accordance with international standards and China's Wildlife Protection Law.

Unfortunately, conservation work is not all roses. There was a time when a demoiselle crane was brought to us for emergency help. It turned out that the bird had taken crops seeds treated with pesticide. It was such a majestic bird! It had a tuft of feather at the back of its head, eyes glittering like rubies. As we tried to treat the crane, I kept praying in my heart: please live! We did our best, but after 24 hours, the bird didn't make it. It was a heartbreaking moment for all of us. Such is the nature of conservation, sometimes, we are filled with the joys of saving lives, but there are other moments when we feel utterly helpless as we lose animals right in front of our eyes.

Through our work, we realized the best way to save wild animals is to keep an exact record and document the numbers of each species in the region. We also share our information with other wildlife organizations, hoping that with joint efforts, we can achieve more. But conservation is never only about saving individual animals. It's about finding a sustainable way so that animals and humans can live together. Take the region of the Altay Mountains and the Ulungur River. For thousands of years, animals roamed this land as our ancestors ploughed the earth, planted and harvested. Our job is to ensure that harmony continues even in this day and age. And this task cannot wait.

That led us to the other task we set for ourselves: recovering the natural habitat for the benefit of the wildlife. Have you ever heard of the Sino-Mongolian beaver? It's a subspecies of the Eurasian beaver family and is known as the "Architect of the Animal Kingdom." Just to give you an idea: these beavers are even rarer than the giant panda. Scientists say there are only 900 Sino-Mongolian beavers worldwide. In China, they are listed as first-class nationally-protected animals.

The Ulungur River basin where Sino-Mongolian beavers live is not only home to wildlife. It also sustains hundreds of thousands of farmers, herders and the millions of livestock they tend to. Apart from being cute, these Sino-Mongolian beavers are also a key indicator for the health of the river. If they thrive, it means the river is doing very well ecologically. That's why we set out to recover the beaver's population to a level sustainable with the eco-system, so they can play their roles as architects and create more habitats.

So, we built a gigantic Beaver Cafeteria along the river. We planted 750,000 saplings to provide the animals with hearty food. And we have harvested the fruits as the beaver population has leapt. 30 years ago, there were 500 beavers in the region. Today, their number has grown to around 600. That's a 20 percent increase. It's also the highest level in China since record started.

Our work has attracted many people, and they have joined us. For example, we have a team of 500 volunteer rangers, all local herders. With them on board, our work has grown from that of one organization to including the local community, a huge boost to our conservation workforce. There are also young people of my age, who have learned of our stories and decided to help out. They've sponsored their own trips to come all the way to plant trees for the beavers. Many come here whenever they have a holiday, some even bringing their family members along.

With these joint efforts, the beavers are leading a better life now. And as a result, it has created a better ecological environment for other wild animals. The ecosystem of the Ulungur River has improved. And the people along the river have also benefitted. It's a virtuous circle with a surprising twist, one that has given rise to a new social media star. As more people sent inquiries about the beavers, we decided to set up social media accounts for the beavers and live-stream their activities. These videos have gone viral across different platforms. So don't forget to join millions of other fans and check on how the lovely animals are doing 24/7.

I often observe the beavers, the ibexes and other animals, and think about Neng Neng and others that I have had the good fortune to look after. I love watching them in their natural habitat and live as they wish. Moments like that make me feel that my work is meaningful and worthwhile. I think wildlife conservation work shows the very best of human civilization. It's all about the choice we make when we're facing groups seemingly weaker than us, whether we choose to hurt them, or respect them and help them live a better life. The truth is: we share one Earth as our common home. All species are equal. Together we form this world's biosphere. We have in no way the right to disrupt the harmony among different life forms. I believe the more human civilization develops, the more care and respect we will show to other beings.

It brings me great joy to see more Chinese youth joining in wildlife protection. I call that the great ecological awakening of China's Gen Z. And it's their dedication and commitment, their respect for life that gives me hope, and I believe that together we will make this world a better place, not only for us, but for all the other beings.

Thank you.

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