Environmental efforts boost region’s wildlife
Tenzin, a resident in the township of Tsongdu in Lhundrub county, Xizang autonomous region, was happy to see the return of black-necked cranes.
“It’s like welcoming back our family members,” said the 60-year-old. “They leave us for the north every March and return every October.”
The black-necked crane is a species on China’s list of first-class protection. Among the 15 varieties of cranes worldwide, this is the one unique to China’s plateau regions.
Xizang is the major habitat of this bird. Thanks to the local residents’ and officials’ efforts in protecting the ecological environment, Xizang has witnessed the steady growth in the number of black-necked cranes over the decades — from less than 2,000 in the late 20th century to more than 10,000 at present, according to official statistics.
The middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River in Xizang are a major winter habitat for black-necked cranes, so the local authorities have reserved a large area of land — mostly wetlands along the watercourses — for the birds.
The Hutoushan Reservoir in Lhundrub county is a part of the Yarlung Zangbo Middle Reaches National Nature Reserve for Black Necked Cranes. It is where Tenzin works as a patroller for monitoring and protecting wildlife.
“Every autumn when the harvesting of crops is completed and the grass turns yellow, it’s time for me and my fellow patrollers to prepare for the return of the birds,” Tenzin said.
He said his main job is to patrol along the reservoir, recording the number of the birds, making sure they are safe and have enough food, and rescuing the injured.
“Over the past 12 years, I have rescued four blacknecked cranes with serious injury,” Tenzin said. “I took the wounded home and they were discharged when they recovered.”
Food supply for the birds is a serious concern of Tenzin and his colleague.
The county of Lhundrub is an important farming base in Xizang for crops such as wheat, highland barley and rapeseed.
According to Tenzin, the harvest of wheat and highland barley is completed in October and plowing the farmlands begins in late November or early December. “During the interval between harvest and plowing, black-necked cranes live on grain scattered on the fields,” Tenzin said.
Tenzin’s family operates a farm of about 3.3 acres, growing wheat and highland barley. “My family will postpone the plowing as late as possible, allowing the birds to have enough to eat,” he said, adding that this is also the practice of many of his neighbors.
“But plowing is a necessity for farming,” Tenzin said. “Once that is done, it means there might be a short supply of natural food for an increasing crane population.”
When a short supply of natural food is observed, people will come to feed. “Officials at the forestry and grassland bureau of Lhundrub county will deliver grains to various sites for feeding, which are taken care of by patrollers like me.”
Konchok Drolma, head of the bureau, said that Lhundrub county has received more than 2,000 blacknecked cranes this winter, with most of them settling in wetland areas like the Hutoushan Reservoir.
“Based on our observation, there has been a shortage of natural food for such a number of cranes and other birds,” Konchok Drolma said. “So we have delivered about 30,000 pounds of wheat to the 10 feeding sites in Lhundrub since last winter.”
In addition to blacknecked crane, she said that Lhundrub has seen increasing populations of such wildlife species as white-lipped deer and mallard duck.
“It shows that Lhundrub has become a preferred home of wildlife due to the result of the environmental conservation efforts by several generations,” she said.