How a vet in pink wins likes from cattle farmers and curious netizens

Just as viewers enjoy episodes of All Creatures Great and Small, checking out how James Herriot builds his career as a veterinary surgeon in the Yorkshire Dales in northern England, millions of Chinese netizens look forward to Bai Hua's new stories on video-sharing platforms, following how the vet in pink treats cattle in Guyuan, a city in the mountainous region of northwest China.

From delivering calves and giving infusions, to trimming hooves and cutting horns, Bai appears calm and skillful in her videos even though she often treats animals 10 times her own weight. The 27-year-old has got over 3.8 million followers on video-sharing platforms, winning dozens of millions of likes. Recently, she was also listed in the top 10 women newsmakers of 2023 by China Women's News.

Born in a village in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region where raising cattle and sheep was a key source of income for locals, Bai noticed the scarcity of vets in rural regions at an early age. Vets with high-level medical skills, she observed, could sometimes save the livelihood of a rural family.

"In the year when I graduated from junior high school, seven of 12 cattle raised by my parents died. Their efforts for a whole year went down the drain. Seeing them so sad, I decided to study veterinary medicine," Bai recalled.

In 2015, Bai graduated from a local vocational school in Guyuan with a degree majoring in animal husbandry and veterinary medicine. Bai is the only female student from her class who is still working as a vet.

Earning farmers' trust

Being a vet requires courage, especially in a rural region. Instead of cute little pets, a rural vet typically deals with big, strong animals in smelly sheds.

"In the beginning, a lot of farmers didn't trust me. They asked, 'Can you treat the cattle? Can you put the needle in,'" said Bai.

Winning the recognition of the farmers was Bai's first goal. She not only offered to cure sick animals for free, but also recorded her work routine with videos and shared them on the internet.

"It was really difficult at first. But the villagers saw my videos online and I did help them solve some problems. So they began to trust me," said Bai. 

Her medical skills improved, so did her reputation as a capable and kind-hearted vet. Bai gives free services when farmers face financial difficulties.

"She has the best medical skills in treating cattle and sheep in our neighboring villages," said Lyu Xueliang, a local farmer, who found Bai while he was scrolling through short videos on the phone.

Bai's customers are growing in number and her team helps deliver about 200 calves each year. In order to be available at any time when called, she often needs to make a dozen house calls a day. She could be on her knees for five or six hours to help deliver a calf. Or she could be kicked by a stubborn animal, getting a swollen leg.

Despite the harsh working conditions, Bai gets a strong sense of achievement from curing sick animals and helping local farmers.

"When I was growing up, I was encouraged to have my own career, just like the boys," said Bai. "I became a vet because I wanted to help cattle farmers like my parents." 

"People say that my daughter is capable," said Bai Zhibing, Bai's father, beaming with pride.

Beyond healing animals

Bai likes the color pink, which she thinks is "especially clean and healing." When she works, the young vet often wears a long pink coat, drives a pink car, and takes a pink emergency kit. The door signs, walls and even the drug labels at her veterinary service station are pink.

"Every time I get really tired, I feel better when I see my pink boots, pink surgical kit and pink medicine boxes," said Bai.

As her career as a vet moves forward at full steam, Bai's role as an internet celebrity has also inspired her to pursue a new goal.

"I have spent so many years in the countryside that I rarely see young people raising cattle at home or serving in the countryside. I hope to attract more young people back home to start businesses and join the livestock industry," said Bai.

Bai has opened two veterinary service stations in Guyuan. She has a young team of 11 people, all of whom are in their 20s and early 30s.

Bai admits that it is challenging to build a career in the countryside, and many young entrepreneurs give up because they do not see fruits in the short term.

"It takes time and ability to make achievements," said Bai, who has kept finding opportunities to improve her skills in the past several years. She also noted that  praise from farmers makes her feel supported and needed.

"I want to serve more farmers and share my skills with them," Bai said.