Guardians of 'giant panda of the water' in Dongting Lake

Located in the middle of the Yangtze River, Dongting Lake in Central China's Hunan Province was once severely polluted due to rapid urbanization and industrialization. After years of conservation efforts, the second largest freshwater lake in China, known as "the kidney of the Yangtze River," has seen a remarkable recovery.

The population of the Yangtze finless porpoise in Dongting Lake, one of the most important habitats for the species known as "giant panda of the water" due to its rarity, has grown from fewer than 80 in 2011 to more than 160 now. The number of milu deer around the lake has risen to more than 250 from only two in the 1990s. The number of migratory birds wintering in the lake has also increased.

How did the change happen? With the question in late April, journalist Lai Yicheng traveled to the Yueyang East Dongting Ecological Protection Association and talked with a group of volunteers who regularly patrol to protect the finless porpoises. Check out the video to find out their stories.

(File footage: Courtesy of East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve Administration)