Forest protection starts with picking up a lynx girl

Chapter 427: Digging rabbits. My brother taught me!

Chen Ying walked forward, picked up the older cub and held him in her arms. The little guy was very heavy in her hands, and had a chubby body, like a solid furry ball.

Although Erniu is a little unreliable in life, she has no problem feeding her children.

Seeing Chen Ying pick up the eldest cub, Erniu felt embarrassed to continue pretending to sleep. In addition, seeing that the little snow leopard Hakimi and the little lynx Xinxin had also arrived, it still had some of the dignity of an adult animal.

Jin Ya watched it making a fuss from the side, smiling without saying anything.

Except for the eldest cub who was still sleepy, the second and third cubs quickly became familiar with Hakimi and Xinxin. With their mothers' tacit consent, they ran to the mountain to play. Hakimi, just as he had said before, taught his younger brothers and sisters how to hunt while they played.

Compared to Hakimi's natural enthusiasm, Xinxin is a little quieter.

It did not interfere with its good friend's actions in teaching its younger siblings, but instead stood guard silently by the side.

In the alpine meadow area on the other side, in addition to yaks and gazelles, there is also a group of cute little guys.

For example, the Tibetan fox and the pika, and the marmot that likes to watch the fun nearby.

I heard from Erniu that a new family of two sub-adult caracals moved into the opposite mountain and lived at the junction of the sunny rock and meadow.

Chen Ying planned to go over and see her new neighbors.

Putting the sleepy baby into Jin Ya's arms, Chen Ying called Dao Meihua to go together.

In addition to the alpine meadows on the opposite side, there is also a relatively large rocky area, and naturally there will be a scree beach.

But the altitude there is a little higher and the road is more dangerous.

They went to the car to get the safety rope and climbing equipment, and they climbed up carefully step by step.

"I saw Rhodiola rosea." Dao Meihua felt very tired. The symptoms of plateau hypoxia will not go away just because you are rich.

"Looking at the height of the inflorescence, it should be Rhodiola rosea, but the environment here is also suitable for the growth of Tanggu Rhodiola rosea. I need to go over and take a look."

The slope here is quite steep, and there are many gravels on the gravel beach. If you slip accidentally, it is easy to roll down.

Chen Ying climbed up a distance and found a rock suitable for use as a fulcrum, and tied the safety rope to it. After coming down, the two of them tied the safety ropes and then approached the quicksand beach cautiously.

"It's Rhodiola rosea, for sure. There's quite a lot of it here, and the quality is also very good."

Dao Meihua sat on the gravel, lay down sideways, picked up the camera to take pictures, and took some samples and put them in her backpack.

"There are plants near the cracks in the rocks over there. I'll go take a look. You wait here."

"Okay, be careful."

After checking the safety rope tied around her again, Chen Ying protected her and walked a few steps before stopping.

Dao Meihua went to look for Tanggu Rhodiola rosea, while Chen Ying sat down to take pictures of the surrounding alpine meadows.

Most of the mountain tops in the distance are covered with snow, the meadows have turned yellow, and the cattle, sheep and horses are migrating downwards. This time, the number of yaks, gazelles and other animals that can be seen on the mountain meadows is at least half less.

The valley between the two mountains is the only option for animals to escape the cold winter.

The small family groups that were scattered in the summer also gathered into large groups. In the cold, windy and snowy weather of winter, they leaned on each other and huddled together to keep warm.

Putting away his phone, Chen Ying was about to ask Dao Meihua if she needed help when he saw a few little guys walking towards him.

Except for Kai Xin, the other three snow leopards had something in their mouths.

When I got closer, I saw that they had dug up a pika's nest.

"Why did you catch two?"

Hakimi dropped the pika in his mouth and let out a cry.

"Is this what you prepared for the eldest cub? Not bad, you are a good brother."

Hakimi laughed like a dog.

The second child and the third girl also came over. The pikas in their mouths were smaller, and there were traces of mud at the corners of their mouths.

This is clearly evidence of a rabbit hole being dug out.

However, it is already very impressive that the two little snow leopards were able to find the rabbit's nest and successfully take out the pika, after all, they have not yet left the larval stage.

From another perspective, Hakimi and Xinxin are so skilled in digging out rabbit nests, which is not unrelated to Erniu’s personal teaching before.

So did the boomerang finally land on the head of his own child? The snow leopard that robbed the rabbit's nest must have been a rage that other snow leopards could not bear.

Fortunately, there is a big snow leopard at home who can correct the children’s misconceptions.

No, it’s not really a mistake.

In the harsh winter, it is a blessing to have a rabbit nest to dig.

He still remembered what happened last year when Uncle Zhaxi and his team were patrolling the mountains. A mother snow leopard tried her best to catch her prey, but it was snatched away by three stray dogs.

In the photo taken by Uncle Zhaxi, the helpless and sad look of the snow leopard mother really hurt him.

In such bad weather conditions, it is a very happy thing to be able to dig out rabbit holes to fill your stomach.

Of course, pikas are not happy to accept this kind of happiness.

The third girl was a little timid and didn't dare to go this way. She stopped at the edge of the meadow and started biting the pika.

Their milk teeth are not very strong yet, so it is a bit difficult to break through. Xinxin, who was guarding it nearby, came over reluctantly to help tear open the pika skin.

The third girl boldly gave him a bloody lip mark.

Chen Ying dared to guarantee with her cell phone that Xinxin's expression at that time was definitely three parts disgust and seven parts helplessness.

The meat of large prey may be a little difficult for snow leopard cubs to tear, but pikas are different. The meat is so tender that it melts in the mouth, making it a favorite snack for the little ones.

Unfortunately, Erniu thought that it was okay to dig out rabbits for herself and eat them, but it was a waste of time and energy to dig out rabbits for the children, so unless she happened to see them, she rarely gave them this delicious snack.

Jinya is different. It likes to catch rabbits and it always catches them.

During the past few years with Xiao Jin, the rabbits in Jiamugou have not become overpopulated, thanks to these two.

When they arrived in the wilderness, they also fell in love with catching rabbits. The rabbits here were fatter, easier to catch, and more plentiful, so they didn't have to run too far to get their fill.

Hakimi watched over his younger brothers and sisters as they ate and played at the edge of the meadow. After Xinxin made sure that the third girl had started eating and would not run around, she curiously went to Dao Meihua, wanting to see what she was doing.

Dao Meihua searched for more than ten meters and finally found traces of Rhodiola rosea in a crevice.

But this plant of Rhodiola rosea did not develop well and had no time to bloom before it was about to face the cold winter.

She clung to the rocks and walked carefully to the meadow on the other side. At the edge of the rocky area, she finally found seven or eight mature plants of Rhodiola rosea.

Collect samples, take photos, and record coordinate points.

After completing a series of tasks, she made a gesture of completion to Chen Ying, and carefully crossed the quicksand beach again and returned to a safe area.

"The data has been collected almost completely. I will leave in two days. I still have some process to go through when I go back to apply for a research project. Besides, it's hard to go out to work when the weather gets cold here. I will definitely come here to stay for a while in May or June next year to observe the changes in plants and distribution ranges throughout the season."

Chen Ying had no idea what their plant research was about, but he knew that Dao Meihua said this because she actually hoped that he could stay here next year to help her or accompany her.

However, Chen Ying did not dare to give her any guarantees. He had only completed more than half of the five projects he was working on this year. If he wanted to stay, he would probably have to apply for a new project.

But he has two ideas for his next step. One is to participate in the research of albino animals, and the other is to go to the Grand Canyon to conduct research on golden cats.

All the babies in the family have been studied almost completely, but Xiao Jin has not enjoyed any special treatment yet.

There is reproductive isolation between Xiaojin and Jinya, so they cannot have children.

Jin Ya is keen to be a foster mother, and Chen Ying can fulfill her wish. But what about Xiao Jin? Can she persist in not leaving her own bloodline for the rest of her life?
We cannot look at animals from human perspectives. Human reproduction and love can be separated, let alone animals.

Xiao Jin and Jin Ya have been able to live together for so many years without parting ways, Chen Ying even thinks that it is possible to open a special project for them!

After playing with the kids for a while, Chen Ying and the others went down the mountain and prepared to go home.

The dogs wanted to follow them back, as Xiao Jin also didn’t like the nights on the grassland.

In the past, Jin Ya would definitely stay to accompany Er Niu and take care of the baby, but now she has an adopted son at home, and she has to snuggle with Xiao Jin at night for warmth, so she is very busy. Back at the emergency station, Dao Meihua was busy communicating with her supervisor about the project application, and the Paw Patrol also started their daily patrol (making trouble). Suddenly, Chen Ying felt that she had nothing to do, so she simply took out the little lynx with an injured eye and let it start to adapt to sexual activities.

"The vision will definitely be affected, but it's not a big deal, as long as the sense of smell and hearing are intact."

The little lynx that was kept in the small fence subconsciously lowered its body as soon as its claws touched the grass, and stayed there for a long time with a slight tremor.

Chen Ying did not go to help calm it down.

As a wild animal, it should not be afraid of its own home.

Sure enough, more than ten minutes later, as if the remaining memories of the prairie in its body had finally been awakened, the little lynx cub plucked up the courage to take the first step in exploring the world.

Soon, it became completely familiar with the land beneath its feet and began to run freely.

Hakimi stayed on the mountain to help Erniu look after the child, while Xinxin followed Jinya back to the first aid station.

Xinxin has always kept a safe distance from this younger brother who was "snatched" away by her aunt.

After exploring the world for a while, the little lynx cub became very interested in Xinxin who had been following him.

It tiptoed towards Xinxin and then pretended to pounce on her.

Of course, it was impossible for it to pounce on the baby since it had just been weaned, but Xinxin still called out to him out of courtesy.

When the little lynx heard Xinxin's cry, it responded with a fierce voice, and then rushed over and bit the fur on Xinxin's chest.

Xinxin looked down at the little lynx hanging on her and let out a long sigh.

Chen Ying, who was watching the two of them interacting, couldn't stop laughing.

As the noise was going on, two gray-white shadows, one big and one small, approached quickly.

"Ahhh, here I come." Little Gray White ran over and saw the little lynx cub making trouble with Xinxin, so he quickly joined the battle.

Ms. Lynx stopped and recognized Xinxin after taking a look. After greeting it, she left the child behind with peace of mind and went to play with Jinya leisurely.

Xinxin felt even more helpless, but she still patiently accompanied the two little guys in their play.

Fortunately, not long after, the red lion came over and joined the fight, wrestling with the two little lynx cubs.

This fight was also playful in nature, because the red lion wanted the little lynx cubs to join its team and be under its jurisdiction, but the two little lynxes simply ignored it, so they would "duel" every time they met.

After seeing that her two younger brothers had gone to fight with the red lion, Xinxin came to Chen Ying and lay down, exposing her belly, asking Chen Ying to rub it.

Just now, my silly brother bit it and hurt it, so it needs some meat to replenish its nutrition.

Chen Ying held it and examined it carefully. It seemed that two pieces of fur had been bitten off, which made Xinxin feel a little aggrieved.

After rubbing Xinxin’s little belly, Chen Ying held it and returned to the front.

Although the little ones can already eat some meat, they still need milk every day.

Xinxin also needs to supplement nutrition after returning, as its bone development is still a little slow compared to lynxes of the same age.

Xia Sen has already sent the formula over, as well as the formula for complementary food. He said to let Xinxin eat it for a few days first and then make adjustments depending on the situation.

After finishing, Chen Ying fed Xinxin first, and then went to find the two little lynxes with milk and complementary food.

Uncle Zhaxi is responsible for the dogs' diet. Chen Ying can feed them occasionally, but she cannot deprive Uncle Zhaxi of the right to feed them, otherwise the dogs will refuse to eat when he leaves.

After three days of calm and busy life, Dao Meihua sorted out the materials and prepared to leave. She would come again in May or June next year.

"This time I'm going to stay in Ailao Mountain for two months before returning to school. If you're on vacation, you can come and visit me."

Chen Ying was stunned for a moment, and said bluntly that he would not take a vacation and would spend the New Year in Heyuan this year.

Dao Meihua was choked and tilted her head with a helpless smile.

"Okay, let's get in touch if I need anything."

What else could she say? She could only continue to take her time.

After walking a meter or two in the car, he stopped and stuck his head out to tell Chen Ying that Lao Gao had gone to Gaoligong Mountain. He had achieved some interim results in his research on the white-tailed pheasant, and later the project was handed over to two other doctors.

But the effect seemed not very good. One of the doctors almost lost his life due to sudden high-altitude pulmonary edema, and the project returned to Lao Gao.

Chen Ying didn't ask her how she knew that. That was the Bai family's territory, so it was easy to find out.

But what Chen Ying found strange was why Lao Gao didn't mention this matter at all in the group.

In the past two months, Lao Gao has been less active. They asked him about it several times when they were chatting in the group. Lao Gao said that he was so busy that he didn't even have time to eat or sleep. Later, no one bothered him anymore.

Dao Meihua took out her phone and handed it to Chen Ying. "I just received a message that Lao Gao seems to have fallen and has broken bones. It will be very dangerous for him to go up the mountain like this. You are his friend, please persuade him."

Chen Ying took Dao Meihua's phone and took a look. It was a photo of the ward, and judging from the angle, it was obviously taken secretly.

"The person who took this photo is my cousin's wife. She sent it to me because she knew that I knew Lao Gao."

"I'm leaving now. Think about how to persuade him. There are so many places to study birds. There's no need to risk your life."

Chen Ying nodded silently, his brows knitted together.

After seeing Dao Meihua off, Chen Ying thought for a while before calling Lao Gao.

Lao Gao, who had been bombarded by his family elders in the ward for a whole day, was almost autistic. When he saw Chen Ying calling, he answered the phone without thinking.

"What's wrong with you kid? Why did you break your bones again? It's only been a short time since you broke your bones last time. Are you planning to be stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of your life?"

Lao Gao looked at his phone in surprise, "How did you know I had a broken bone?"

"Don't worry about how I know this. I heard you're going to go up the mountain again?"

"I'm telling you, I found several nests of white-tailed pheasants. This is a rare observation opportunity."

"They are breeding there this year, and they will definitely continue to breed next year. It's not like we won't see them anymore. Why are you kidding with your life? Listen to me, go back to the provincial hospital and get hospitalized. I'll tell my senior brother to take a look at your bone injuries."

Lao Gao remained silent, but did not hang up the phone.

Chen Ying didn't rush to speak. She waited for at least four or five minutes before slowing down her tone.

"I wanted to tell you after it was finalized. I have contacted a research team from a university to go to Hubei Province to investigate the primitive forests. There is a team from their university doing the first phase of the work, and we will directly join the second phase, which will probably start after the Spring Festival. If you take care of your health now, you should still have time to participate. If you insist on going to the mountains to see the rainbow pheasants, then I won't wait for you."

The research topic that Lao Gao was investigating was originally initiated by him. After some initial results were achieved, the topic was transferred to someone else. Now it is halfway through and cannot be continued. The supervisor does not want to waste the work, so he gave it to Lao Gao.

But in fact, there have been a lot of related research, and the part that Lao Gao took over is not particularly important. It is not too late to postpone it, and it may even be okay to go next year.

Chen Ying seemed to sense Lao Gao's dilemma and added slowly.

"That team is studying albino animals, including amphibians, mammals, and birds. Are you really not going to join?"

Lao Gao lay on the bed, rolling his eyes.

"Go away, you old fool, you did it on purpose. Just wait, when we meet I will drink you to death."

The White-tailed Pheasant is rare, but the albino bird is even rarer. You can tell which side to look at first just by thinking with your heels.

Moreover, even though he was in this state, his teacher would not have forced him to go up the mountain. If he had not wanted to stay, his teacher would have packed him up and sent him back eight hundred years ago.

After hanging up the phone, Lao Gao stared at the ceiling for a long time before he picked up his phone and called his mother, who agreed to discharge him from the hospital and go home directly.

His fracture this time was not serious. He just fell off a rock and fractured the tibia in his lower leg. His recovery was fine after reduction and he just needs some rest.

When Lao Gao's mother heard that her son had changed his mind, she breathed a sigh of relief. When she was checking in for discharge from the hospital, she found out that it was Chen Ying who called and persuaded him. She then went back and told her family about Chen Ying's contribution.

As for the research on albino birds that my son mentioned, it is still early, at least three or four months away, and the bones will have recovered by then.

Besides, there are other people with us, and Chen Ying is here, so there is no need to worry too much about her son's safety.

After being discharged from the hospital, Lao Gao still insisted on returning to Jiamugou for recuperation. It was not his first time after all. Besides, Professor Bai and his wife were there too. It would be lively with more people around, and they wouldn't nag him every day. He had to be stupid to agree to stay at home and accept the urging to get married three times a day.

(End of this chapter)