Forest protection starts with picking up a lynx girl

Chapter 416: Are you looking for volunteers? The kind that can carry heavy loads?
"Xiaoying, what are you doing? You're such a grown-up, but you're still so anxious while eating. Are you burned?"

Professor Bai was startled. Seeing that Chen Ying looked a little strange, he put down the bowl and said, "What's wrong with you? Tell me what's wrong and we can solve it together."

"No, I just heard Xia Sen say that Shanshan found a cave under the snow mountain to make his home, and I suddenly remembered that there is a cave on the mountain. It is said that someone hid from bandits in it in the past. I remember when I was a child, the old people said that there was an exit in the cave, on the shady side."

"so what?"

"The shady side is a canyon slope with a small meadow and sparse trees around it. Most importantly, there are several leopards living there, and I'm worried about running into one."

Professor Bai thought about it and shook his head. "It's unlikely. If there are other beasts in the cave, the giant panda will not choose that cave to give birth."

"But we still need to remind the observation team. Xiaosen, send a message to their team leader later. If possible, it would be best if you could go over and check it out."

It’s not that I’m afraid there are other wild animals in the cave, but I don’t know what the situation is on the other side of the cave. If there are other problems, it will be a bit troublesome to deal with.

Xia Sen didn't even wait to finish his meal, he just picked up his phone and sent a reminder to the familiar panda man.

In less than half a minute, the phone rang.

"We received a reminder from the forest station next door that they had spotted two wild leopards there. We are still unsure whether they were passing through or settled there. Your information was very timely, and the station immediately arranged for someone to go over and investigate."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ying offered to join.

The main reason is that, as Sister Leopard said, that was a female leopard that was about to give birth. If the leopard was not handled properly and caused stress, it would be a devastating blow to the mother leopard and the cub in her belly.

This matter should be dealt with sooner rather than later. It is already the end of July, the leopard birthing season is coming to an end, and the giant panda birthing season is about to reach its peak.

After discussing with the other party, we decided to meet at Dabeigou early the next morning, and we should arrive at the cave chosen by Shanshan at around 1:00 p.m.

They will choose a suitable place nearby to set up a temporary observation point, and then send people to the shady slope to look for traces of the leopard.

This time when we went up the mountain, there were two new forest rangers from the management station who followed us. They were the replacements for Uncle Zhao and Uncle Yi.

"Uncle Zhao and Uncle Yi rarely go up the mountain now. They mostly patrol the observation points nearby and provide guidance and assistance to the scientific research teams that come in for investigation."

Although they are only in their fifties, this is a high-altitude area. The higher you go, the lower the oxygen content and the more drastic the climate changes, which is not very friendly to older people.

"Originally, Uncle Zhao and Uncle Yi were to be assigned to the logistics positions at the station, but they didn't want to do so. They said that since they couldn't go up the mountain, they could still patrol the forest below the mountain. So the stationmaster arranged new positions for them according to their wishes."

"Our Jiamugou Management Station has been approved as a scientific and educational base. Sister Dai and her team's rescue and shelter station will also be moved up and officially included in the Jiamugou Management Station."

There are a lot more animals in the jurisdiction of Jiamugou and the two surrounding management stations, and the annual rescue mission is also very heavy.

Before, Chen Ying and Xia Sen often went there to help, but now that Uncle Hu and Sister Bao are stationed there permanently, Xia Sen and Ruan Mengmeng can’t leave, so the management station must have its own veterinarian.

It just so happened that Sister Dai and her team also encountered a bottleneck in their development. Under the coordination of the shelter and rescue center, Sister Dai and her team were merged into Jiamugou.

"After all this back and forth, we are almost back to the original situation. I don't know what the leaders are thinking."

Xia Sen complained quietly and was twisted by Ruan Mengmeng's arm.

"But shut up. How can it be the same? Sister Dai and her friends used to belong to the center, but now they belong to the management bureau. The leaders above them are different. Besides, if the management station hadn't been registered as a science and education base, Sister Dai and her friends wouldn't have had a chance to join."

Other management stations basically patrol the forests and rescue animals. However, they do not have their own dedicated veterinarians, and they only send the animals to the places arranged by their superiors for treatment after rescue.

Those with minor injuries will either be kept in the management bureau or in the homes of local villagers, and will be released back to the place where they were once their injuries have healed.

In fact, even without Xia Sen saying it, Chen Ying knew that the leader arranged Sister Dai and the others to come back because of Professor Bai.

After all, the great experts are here, so if you encounter any problems, it is convenient to come and ask for advice shamelessly.

From another perspective, if a great expert lives there for a long time and has nothing to do, he may feel bored. So going out for a walk and giving advice to young people is a good way to kill time.

There is also a science and education park, where lectures are arranged every quarter and well-known experts in the industry are invited to give lectures to employees.

Professor Bai has already talked about this once. It was a study tour for three middle schools. One hundred and eighty students and twenty teachers listened to Professor Bai’s lively and interesting animal introduction class. This incident was popular on the Internet for a while.

Chen Ying is too busy and doesn’t like to check Douyin, so she doesn’t know.

Before setting off the next day, Professor Bai handed him a wearable camera that could steadily record the entire process of going into the mountains from a first-person perspective.

"It's mainly the animals, they have to be in their original state. I'll edit them and post them online later. The other footage can also be used in lectures for students."

How cunning! Teacher, are you recycling student waste?
Professor Bai waved his hand in disdain, telling him to leave quickly and not to delay him and Xia Sen from going to see the stone marten cubs.

What else can your teacher do? He has to pamper you.

Chen Ying greeted Sister Leopard and asked it to help keep an eye on the teacher.

Sister Leopard impatiently whipped him with her tail.

"You don't even need to tell me. By the time you open your mouth, all your bones will be gone."

Sister Leopard is very comfortable being taken care of by the master's wife. She combs her hair and massages her every day, and pays attention to the nutritional balance of her diet. It feels that her health is much better in the past month or two.

As for Brother Leopard, he and Uncle Tiger have become close friends regardless of age. These two males chatted with each other and roared back and forth. People who didn’t know them would think that they were at odds with each other. In fact, these two guys were discussing what was the most delicious food in the mountains...

Xiao Jin knew Chen Ying was going up the mountain, so he took the initiative to follow her. Anyway, Jin Ya was not around, and it was pretty boring for a cat like him.

Seeing that Xiao Jin was leaving, Xiao Bai was unwilling to stay and firmly stayed in Chen Ying's backpack.

Ruan Mengmeng realized that this was inconvenient, so she contributed one of her furry bags, modified the shoulder strap so that it could be worn across the chest, and then put Xiaobai in it.

It's just the right size to fit it, anything bigger won't work.

It was very warm in the furry bag, and Xiaobai felt extremely comfortable there. He even gave Ruan Mengmeng a loving caress with his tail, which scared Ruan Mengmeng so much that she dared not move, not at all.

Xiao Jin sneered and jumped onto the tree.

Xiaobai shrank back into the bag angrily. The warm temperature made it fall asleep again unconsciously.

This time, the goal of going into the mountains was clear, and the group went straight to where Shanshan was.

About ten meters away, they found a suitable place to set up camp in the downwind direction.

But the place was very small, and could only accommodate a triangular shed. There was an open space two meters away next to it that could accommodate a double tent.

Sometimes they didn't even have the chance to build a shed in the wild, and they had to hide in tree holes or rock crevices wrapped in raincoats.

Two people were left behind to keep watch over Shanshan, while the others followed Chen Ying and continued walking towards the shady slope.

"There is also a cave in front, which is relatively shallow, with a large opening and not deep inside. I guess it is not a place that animals like to live. Only villagers who used to go up the mountain to collect goods occasionally stayed overnight there. I don't know if the firewood stored in it has been burned up."

Although we can spend the night there, it is not convenient to observe Shanshan, so the camp cannot be set up here.

Led by Chen Ying, the group found a place to spend the night.

When I went in, there was nothing there.

"Look, this stone platform is where people used to store dry firewood. Let's go get some firewood in first. If the weather changes, we won't be able to survive the night without fire."

While collecting firewood, the two people guarding the camp above also came down to take a look and identify the place first, so that in case of bad weather, they would have a place to hide.

The cave was not big, with only enough space for two tents. We built a herringbone awning in the shape of wood outside to cook, and it was almost dark when we were done.

At night, Xiao Jin came back with food. After eating outside, he jumped directly onto the tree next to the cave and fell asleep.

Xiaobai was released by Chen Ying in the evening.

This little guy is too smart to be like a snake. If it weren't poisonous, it would have been eaten alive by humans long ago.

Xiaobai didn't come back until dawn, and after coming back he didn't want to move. Looking at its bulging belly, it seemed that it had eaten a lot last night.

Since it was unwilling to move, Chen Ying simply left it in the cave.

Given its poison, no animal would dare to provoke it easily.

On the first day of searching, we discovered a leopard roaming nearby.

But the exit on the shady side was very hidden, and Sister Leopard couldn't tell him where it was exactly. She just heard that a leopard had found the cave, and also heard from other animals that this cave was connected to the cave on the sunny slope.

It was not until the evening that Xiao Jin woke up and came out. Seeing that they were still searching for the cave entrance, he led them down the hillside. In a place covered by vines, they saw traces left by the leopard.

"Oh my god, this is too hidden, they even put up a door curtain!"

One of the Pandaren sighed.

If it weren't for Xiao Jin's help, they would definitely not have found this cave, after all, the vines and weeds covered the place too perfectly.

Although the vines were a little sparse at the entrance, there were many bare areas on the mountain. Who would have thought that the cave they were looking for was under the sparse vines.

The entrance is very small, and I guess only animals of the size of a leopard can enter freely. Even a tiger would have a hard time.

Chen Ying was more cautious and asked Xiao Jin to wear the wearable camera and slowly approached the cave.

Before Xiao Jin touched the vines, a low leopard roar came from inside.

A big-bellied leopard gave a warning to the little blond.

Xiao Jin stepped back a few meters, turned around and stared at the leopard.

The leopard was a little agitated and wanted to leave, but its obviously cramping stomach indicated that it had entered the birthing stage.

Chen Ying whistled, Xiao Jin hesitated for a moment, turned around, jumped onto a big tree and left.

The leopard walked back and forth nearby for a while, and seemed not to feel threatened. It finally relaxed a little and went back to continue waiting for the birth of its baby.

Only after it entered the cave did Xiao Jin come back from behind.

Chen Ying took off the camera from its body and hung it on himself, letting it play by itself, and then discussed with several panda people whether to leave first.

Under the current circumstances, it is impossible for them to continue exploring.

Moreover, Chen Ying estimated that even if the two caves were connected, they were more than a hundred meters apart. Unless they were frightened and hid deep inside, they probably wouldn't wander into other people's homes.

In addition to observing the leopard lady who is about to give birth, others are also responsible for another round of patrol to have a clear understanding of the surrounding terrain and animal distribution.

When the cubs grow up and move away, we will set up infrared cameras here and wait for the next mother to come.

All the pandas paid attention to Shasha, while Chen Ying focused on Ms. Leopard.

The belly is quite big, probably at least five, maybe even more.

Chen Ying was a little regretful about letting Xiao Jin try it out, so as not to scare Leopard Mom into having a difficult delivery.

In the middle of the night, he suddenly woke up and felt a little uncomfortable.

A few minutes later, Xiao Jin rushed in and pulled at the curtain of his tent, and the young man in the same tent with Chen Ying was also awakened.

"You take a rest. I think the leopard mother has given birth. I'll go check it out."

Chen Ying whispered something, picked up his medical box and ran away.

"I'll go over and take a look. You two should be careful."

The captain hurriedly put on his clothes and followed.

Chen Ying came to the outside of the cave and could hear the leopard's howling from two or three meters away.

He was anxious to go over and take a look, but he didn't dare to rush in rashly, in case he scared the mother leopard.

Xiao Jin lay beside him, looking a little uneasy. After waiting for a while, it suddenly jumped up and left, disappearing in a few seconds.

Not having the energy to pay attention to Xiao Jin's whereabouts, Chen Ying tried hard to listen.

The panda captain squatting next to him was also listening carefully.

"It must have been born. I heard two cubs' cries."

"Well, its belly is too big, probably at least four or five, so we have to wait."

A long labor process is not good for the mother leopard. Chen Ying raised his hand to look at the watch anxiously.

It has been five hours since they were last here, and Ms. Leopard has given birth to at least two cubs, so it is possible that it started more than an hour ago. What happens next depends on the situation. The delivery process of cats usually lasts for several hours, which is related to the number of cubs born.

After waiting for another hour, Chen Ying heard different calls.

"It should be a new one." The captain also heard it and whispered "Come on" from a distance.

Whether it is a giant panda or a leopard, the birth of a new life is always worth celebrating.

Crouching in the wild at night, the cold wind was howling, and they dared not make too much noise for fear of scaring the leopard. Fortunately, they brought warm clothes and moisture-proof mats when they went out. The two huddled together and sat on the moisture-proof mat to breathe.

Not long after, Chen Ying heard some noise and turned around to see that Xiao Jin had actually called for help.

But it won’t be that fast to get to the first aid station from here.

"I met her on the road and thought I'd come over to take a look. Just as I got a little way down the mountain, I saw Xiao Jin running back. When I asked, she said a leopard had given birth here."

The mother leopard did not rush to get closer. Instead, she walked around the area, then lay down a little outside the cave and called out twice.

There was a response from inside, a little weak.

Sister Leopard howled twice again, and then there was no movement from inside.

Seeing how relaxed Sister Bao is, there shouldn't be any problem.

Chen Ying advised the captain to go back and rest, and he would just stay here to guard the place. They were just waiting outside and couldn't help at all anyway.

"You guys still have to check the surrounding situation tomorrow. I can catch up on my sleep in the tent tomorrow. Go ahead. It'll be fine with Xiao Jin and Sister Bao watching over you."

The captain had been working in Jiamugou for such a long time, and he had seen the intelligence of Xiao Jin and Sister Bao. He didn't bother to be polite with Chen Ying. He left his thick coat for him to put on his legs and left.

They stayed on guard until dawn. Chen Ying stared blankly for a while, then leaned against Sister Bao and dozed off for half an hour before he woke up.

"How's it going? Is the birth finished?"

Sister Leopard flicked her tail and said, "I've just given birth. I'm a little tired and I'm resting."

As soon as it finished speaking, it saw Brother Leopard dragging a prey over and throwing it at the entrance of the cave, then walking leisurely to a farther place, jumping onto a tree stump and lying down.

The female leopard woke up when the brother leopard dragged the prey over and stared at the cave entrance vigilantly.

Sister Bao waited until Brother Bao walked away before she raised her voice and called out to her sisters to come out for dinner.

During the confinement period, you have to eat enough so that you have milk to feed the little leopard.

After about ten minutes of hesitation, the leopard lady with a deflated belly finally came out. She stood at the entrance of the cave and looked around vigilantly for a long time. She lowered her head to sniff the prey, roared at the leopard lady, and started to attack.

"Sister Leopard, go check if its cubs are okay."

Sister Leopard was too lazy to pay attention to him. "Looking at the way it looks, it should be fine. If you are worried, come back in two days. It won't allow other animals to get close to its children now."

Chen Ying decided to stay in the mountains for two more days.

He did not come to disturb Ms. Leopard frequently. She had just given birth and was being stared at by others. What if she suffered from postpartum depression?

Chen Ying only comes twice a day, morning and evening, to observe its activities and the overall condition of the leopard.

Perhaps it was because the pressure was relieved a lot after giving birth, or perhaps it was because she was accompanied by a familiar leopard, but after a day or two, the leopard lady no longer resisted Chen Ying's approach.

On the morning of the fourth day after giving birth, Ms. Leopard decided to go hunting by herself. She left in front of Chen Ying with peace of mind, which was considered as her tacit consent for him to go and see her beloved baby.

Chen Ying swiftly put on gloves and went to touch the cat.

The kittens were so adorable, so round and soft, and the way they huddled together sleeping made Chen Ying's heart melt into huge bubbles. She wished she could just take them home and raise them.

Fortunately, I regained my senses in time.

"There are five of them, all of them are in good health, three of them are big and two are small..."

After quickly recording the cub's information, Chen Ying picked up the flashlight and scanned the dark hole next to it.

The hole was probably just big enough for Ms. Leopard's head to fit through.

After thinking about it, Chen Ying ran out and looked around, and found a suitable stone, which he used to block about three-quarters of the hole. He blocked it a little too tightly, fearing that the little leopard would play with the stone and hit him.

If it's not blocked, the little leopard might mischievously roll into the cave and become difficult to find.

Fortunately, this small cave is located in the corner, and there is enough space next to it for Ms. Leopard and her family to rest and do some simple activities.

The entrance to the hole covered by vines was not particularly large, at least not big enough to walk in while standing, so Chen Ying crawled in to block the small hole.

He crawled out backwards and looked into Ms. Leopard's eyes affectionately as soon as he looked up.

The corner of the other person's mouth twitched slightly, and his canine teeth appeared and disappeared.

Chen Ying greeted it calmly, and then said that he was going to fix the hole.

Ms. Leopard was a little surprised. She went in to take a look and came out after a while.

Chen Ying was checking the infrared camera that had been set up the day before to see if the height angle needed to be adjusted.

After he was done, Ms. Leopard came over, curiously touched the lens with her big nose, then licked it, felt that it had no taste, and turned away.

When the sunlight shone on the grass in front of the cave, Ms. Leopard lay directly outside the cave and let the warm sunlight wrap herself.

Sister Bao and Brother Bao came over side by side and urged Chen Ying to leave.

Everything that needed to be done had been done, and Chen Ying didn't need to stay there all the time. After saying hello to Ms. Leopard, she returned to where she would spend the night.

"Are you planning to go back?" The captain who stayed here asked casually when he saw Chen Ying packing up.

"Well, the leopard is fine, and the cubs are also healthy. They just need to live well on their own. I don't need to get involved too much."

The captain smiled, with deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. "Yes, there is no need for us to get involved too much. They have lived in the wild for thousands of years, and they have survived to this day without us."

Chen Ying raised her brows slightly, but said nothing.

"Are you surprised that I said that?" Chen Ying didn't respond, and the captain continued, "Actually, I'm very conflicted now. The center hopes to take all of Shanshan and the others home after they give birth, and then choose to release them back into the wild. I don't think this extra step is necessary. Since they were born in the wild, they should stay in the wild forever. Unless they are abandoned cubs, it's better for us not to interfere too much. What do you think?"

Chen Ying was silent for a while. "I respect their free choice, but pandas are different. I think the center has their reasons for doing this."

The captain sighed, "Yes, both make sense, but which way is better?"

He didn't know, Chen Ying didn't know either, and perhaps the experts didn't know either, but they could only choose the safest and most reliable path.

Maybe progress will be slow, and maybe it will take several generations of Pandaren’s efforts to see the fruits of victory, but the result is good, and that is right.

The captain didn't say anything else. After saying goodbye to Chen Ying, he continued to write his diary.

On the way down the mountain, Chen Ying was thinking whether he should prepare to go back to Heyuan next.

I'll probably have to spend the New Year there this time, so I have to take Xiao Jin with me, but what about Xiao Bai?
Just as he reached the entrance of Huashu Valley, the phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number, but the address was in Yunnan Province. He hesitated before answering it.

"Hello, Brother Ying, this is Xin Ping. Do you have any idea of ​​finding a volunteer or something?"

What was he planning to do? He was leaving his job to volunteer?
"You still remember Xiao Hai, the bald young man who was rescued. His father is a researcher at the Snake Research Institute."

"Remember, he's coming to our place as a volunteer?"

Chen Ying heard Xin Ping on the other side make a sound that sounded like a laugh and a sigh. After listening to him for a long time, she finally understood what was going on.

(End of this chapter)