Female rangers protect wildlife in Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park

A female patrol team in the Dongning section of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park in Dongning city, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, has helped with wildlife protection for years since the time of its establishment.

Photo shows two rangers of the female patrol team in the Dongning section of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park in Dongning city, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. (Photo courtesy of the forestry and grassland bureau of Dongning city)

The patrol team was established in April 2019 by the forestry and grassland bureau of Dongning city. All rangers on the team were born in the 1980s and 90s. They are responsible for protecting Siberian tigers, Amur leopards and other wildlife near the Chaoyanggou forest farm in Dongning.

They spend three or four hours patrolling the mountains and have to walk 5 to 10 kilometers each day. In the summertime, their clothes will be soaked in sweat, and insect bites and pollen allergies become normal aspects of everyday life. In the winter months, the temperature in the mountains can dip to 20 degrees Celsius below zero and under.

A ranger (R) removes a hunting trap. (Photo courtesy of the forestry and grassland bureau of Dongning city)

Over the past three years, the female rangers have patrolled more than 6,035 kilometers, according to Li Yong, an official with the forestry and grassland bureau of Dongning city.

During patrols, removing hunting traps set by poachers is one of their duties. Altogether, they have removed 3,789 traps.

The team also supplies wildlife roaming about in the area with food during patrols. “We carry food for wild animals in the mountains. The work is tough and physically demanding, but it’s also fulfilling whenever we find that wild animals ate up the food we scattered and that there are footprints and faeces of animals such as sika deer and roe deer,” said 39-year-old Bai Xue, the oldest of the team’s members.

A ranger (R) checks an infrared camera. (Photo courtesy of the forestry and grassland bureau of Dongning city)

The most exciting thing about patrolling the mountains is checking infrared cameras monitoring the movements of wild animals including Siberian tigers and Amur leopards.

“In 2021, Siberian tigers were spotted eight times and they were discovered six times between January and March this year, as the environment of their habitats has been significantly improved,” Li said, adding that the area of natural forests increased from 110,800 hectares in 2016 to 118,900 hectares last year.

“Meanwhile, 264 clear pictures of Amur leopards were captured between 2018 and 2021,” Li introduced.

Li pointed out that the population of Siberian tigers in the national park has increased to 50 from fewer than 20 five to six years ago.

Bai said that an increasing number of animals, including sika deer, roe deer and wild boars, have been more frequently captured by infrared cameras, indicating that the wild animal populations are expanding.

Rangers put food into bags for wild animals during the winter season. (Photo courtesy of the forestry and grassland bureau of Dongning city)