Flying Snow Welcomes Spring (II)

Tan Kai/Wen

Giant Panda 'Zhang Meng' Released Back into the Wild (Xinhua)

29-year-old Fu Mingxia, Song Xinqiang, and Su Xinqiang photographed

Daxingling Confidence

The Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base decided to launch 'Soft Release' with the Daxingling Nature Reserve, 'Falling in Love' at first sight. The Daxingling Nature Reserve Bureau Director Yang Hong, speaking quickly, introduced the process:

'There are 1387 wild giant pandas in Sichuan, accounting for 7/4 of the total. They are distributed in the Minshan, Qiongyan, Daxingling, and Liangshan four mountain ranges. The Daxingling mountain range is divided into two parts, the main and small Daxingling. Due to history and natural factors, the large Minshan and Qiongyan mountain ranges are well-protected, while the southern Daxingling and Liangshan mountain ranges are seriously fragmented, and many small populations are distributed in 'isolated islands', which are in a state of extreme danger.'

'The National Forestry and Grassland Bureau and the Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau paid close attention to the small populations of giant pandas in Daxingling and Liangshan. In 2010, the Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau's Wild Animal Protection Station established a release center at Liziping, small Daxingling. Starting in 2012, the China Giant Panda Research Center implemented 'Mother-Cub Carry' at Liziping, allowing 'Tao Tao' to return to the forest. Subsequently, 'Zhangxiang', 'Hua Jiao', 'Hua Yan', and 'Zhang Meng' returned. The 'Mother-Cub Carry' method is comparable to climbing Mount Zhujing from the south or north; the goal is the same, and it has the support of the National Forestry and Grassland Bureau.'

'Let's take a look at the environment of our protection zone: 1/3 belongs to Qiongyan Mountain, 2/3 belongs to Daxingling, which are the connecting links between the two major giant panda habitats. It is of great strategic importance in the country's giant panda habitat. Again, our protection zone has a small coal mine that has been closed, a small hydropower station that has withdrawn, and the nearby villages are 20 kilometers away. Human disturbance factors have been reduced to the lowest level, which is a good place for giant pandas to release. '

'This is exactly what Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base Director Zhang Zhi and his team have seen.'

'In the research report that Zhang Zhi participated in establishing the giant panda national park, he listed the early (reckless logging), the recent rapid construction of highways and railways, the rapid development of hydropower, and human production and life activities as the top three threats to the survival and reproduction of wild giant pandas!'

'And Yang Hong's understanding of the Chengdu Giant Panda Base is also very thorough: there are talents everywhere, the scientific research capabilities are strong, the organizational level is high, and it has a broad international vision.'

'With a common goal, they 'clicked together'. To overcome the difficulty of 'Soft Release with Artificial Assistance', they have gathered 'Heaven, Earth and People.'

'The Sichuan Giant Panda Protection Zone, covered with snow, looks like a fairytale world. Su Xinqiang photographed.'

'Sichuan Giant Panda Protection Zone team members demonstrated the giant panda droppings they collected. Su Xinqiang photographed.'

'Daxingling has the most beautiful patrolmen.'

'When the research team from the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base and the patrol and monitoring team of the Daxingling Nature Reserve met, they were both surprised: 'Wow, there are so many young people!'

'In 2017, graduate student Fu Mingxia from Northeast China University of Technology was recruited to the Daxingling Nature Reserve, coinciding with a collaboration with the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base to promote the 'Soft Release' project. To find out 'the family''s background, Fu Mingxia and Song Xinqiang and other research personnel traveled through the main valleys of the release area, while also learning about the activity situation of 'local pandas'. They climbed up and down the mountains, collected information, and returned to the supply station in the evening to sort and compile records. To maintain good physical strength, they had to be able to eat and sleep well. Fu Mingxia once slept in a small hydropower station where a motor was located, even the reporter was surprised: 'How could she sleep soundly in the noisy roar?'

'Yang Hong had already noticed that even in summer, the hottest weather, Fu Mingxia wore knee pads. It turned out that when she was doing her graduate work, Fu Mingxia often knelt for several hours to observe the survival status of the grassland lizard, damaging her knee. Such injury is a passionate pursuit of career. '

'During the day, they walked in the forest, collected information, and in the evening they returned to the supply station to light a fire to dry their clothes and make up for lost time. To maintain good physical strength, they had to be able to eat and sleep well. Fu Mingxia once slept in a small hydropower station where a motor was located, even the reporter was surprised: 'How could she sleep soundly in the noisy roar?'

'Daxingling Nature Reserve covers an area of 29,000 hectares, and the patrol mission is very heavy. To lay the foundation for the release of giant pandas and protect the reserve, through careful selection, a team of 7 full-time monitoring personnel and a team of 10 logistics support personnel were formed. Plus the scientific research team in the bureau, all under the command of 29-year-old Fu Mingxia. '

'On October 29, 2019, Fu Mingxia was awarded the 2019 Sichuan 'Most Beautiful Ranger', she is the only female among the 10 'Most Beautiful Rangers'. This matter, Fu Mingxia did not inform her family, it was a dramatic episode. It turned out that Fu Mingxia's mother saw this news through forwarding a video from her phone. 'Is this your daughter, so white and beautiful?' 'My parents looked at the phone and laughed: 'It's really my daughter, Mingxia.' The whole family proudly announced: 'Our Mingxia is a giant panda researcher!''

'Round face, with a mouthful of white teeth, smiling, revealing a lovely smile. This girl, born in Qinghai, studied in Northeast China University of Technology, and interned in Yunnan for a short time. She has become a typical 'Yunnan Girl' in less than three years. Everyone knows that Ya'an is famous for 'Ya Yun, Ya Yu, Ya Nu', and Fu Mingxia, after coming to Daxingling, which has a high rainfall and fewer sunny days, for less than three years, she has grown into a typical 'Yunnan Girl' appearance. Everyone knows that she is proficient in speaking, and her pronunciation is clear and fluent, which makes people feel comfortable. 'Today, where are we going? To Dashiba, to Cloud Mist Mountain, to the Tea Horse Ancient Road?' The targets, routes, tasks, and precautions were all clearly explained. 'Let's set off!' she said briskly and quickly, and she walked in front, her short hair flew in the mountain wind. '

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