Watching over and coexistence: Stories of wild animals and their protectors amid extreme drought

Safeguarding cowardly wild animal friends

Look! The grass-covered infrared camera we set on an island captured the image of a water deer.

On December 5, in the building of the College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University, Professor Li Yankuo, an expert on water deer, showed off pictures of the animal very excitedly.

As many areas in Poyang Lake dried up earlier than in normal years, the marsh grass has sprouted too early and has grown old too soon. To ensure that there is enough tender grass for Anatidae migratory birds to eat, the Jiangxi forestry department rolled out mowing of the marsh grass.

We fixed six infrared cameras in a location where the marsh grass has been mowed. We didnt expect to captured an image of a food-seeking water deer on just the second day. On November 23, we captured water deer photos again, he said.

Water deer are under grade two national protection. In the wet season, they live in the forest. In times of dryness they come back to the wetland. Its a major wetland index species. Poyang Lake is one of the major distribution areas for water deer. Among wild animals that are endemic to the wetlands of Poyang Lake, water deer is the most highly-protected land animal. Statistics in 2021 show that there are over 2,300 water deer in Poyang Lake.

What makes Li worry is that the water deer is something of a coward. Once shocked, they will run in all directions to escape. Originally, they liked islands covered by marsh grass, as they could offer food as well as shelter. The finding of water deer in areas where the marsh grass has been mowed indicates that the drought has changed their living environment.

Failing to find enough food, they have no choice but to take the risk to seek food here and there, he said.

Li started to research water deer in 2015. Joining hands with the office of the demonstration program for wetland protection systems of the Global Environment Facility in Jiangxi province, he carried out three surveys of water deer in Poyang Lake in May 2020, March 2021 and September 2021. He also released nine artificially bred water deer back to nature.

With the help of satellite positioning facilities, he found that the number of water deer is rising quickly because of the increasingly intensified efforts to protect species in Poyang Lake and the decreasing poaching activities.

Actually, though the water deer is not as noted as the Yangtze finless porpoise and white crane, the protection of the animal has been a key part of the work of the administration for Jiangxi Poyang Lake National Natural Reserve.

On October 20, the administration rolled out the first survey for water deer in the dry season in 2022. Based on a survey approach that combines sample plot investigation and infrared camara monitoring, the administration has managed to figure out the water deers populations and distribution areas. The work is expected to offer scientific support for the administration to hammer out further plans to protect the species.

In accordance with the monitoring of recent years, Li has recently completed a plan for the protection of water deer. It includes these suggestions: to carry out regular monitoring, enhance publicity for the animal's protection, set up zones where hunting is forbidden within annual periods and roll out joint governance with local communities to bring the water deer under scientific and effective protection.

The smile of the Yangtze finless porpoise, the singing of the wintering migratory birds, the image of the smart water deer, as well as many other grasses and trees, rare poultry and animals: all of them demonstrate the beauty of rich biodiversity.

This is our Poyang Lake, a water body of almost indescribable beauty that brings people tender feelings, and the poetic homeland we inhabit together.

Its preservation is why we safeguard it.