Young rangers protect wildlife in the national park of northwest China
Young rangers are dedicated to protecting wildlife in a national park located in northwest China.
TroibNews 
A group of four young individuals is dedicated to the protection and medical care of wild animals in the heart of China's Qilian Mountain National Park.
Located at the intersection of Gansu and Qinghai provinces in northwest China, Qilian Mountain National Park is a sanctuary for thousands of rare wildlife species, such as snow leopards, Pallas's cats, and bharals. It is among ten newly established national parks in the nation.
Ma Cunxin, who leads the wildlife rehabilitation and breeding station within the park, along with his team, is tasked with rescuing wild animals and monitoring the area's ecology.
"As a child, I loved small animals. So, I chose to study biology at university. During several field expeditions with my tutor, I developed a great fondness for wild animals," he shared.
The station has been actively recording the movements of numerous rare wildlife species and contributing to the biological population monitoring efforts in the park.
"We've set up cameras to monitor various ecosystems. One camera captured five snow leopards in a single image, and another, six Pallas's cats. We've also filmed Chinese mountain cats breeding at the highest altitude ever recorded. These are significant achievements for us," Ma noted.
The park spans an extensive area, and the small team, which includes two women, is located at a remote site in its center. They face numerous challenges in their work.
"Many of the wild animals we find can't be saved. We feel quite helpless. It's heart-breaking," admitted Xu Fengyi, a ranger at the wildlife rehabilitation and breeding station.
"This isn't the career path my family wanted me to follow. There is, as they say, little future in it. But I think the meaning of life is different for everyone," said Zhu Hongyi, another ranger in the group.
Despite the harsh environment and exhausting daily routines, the young team members emphasize that the satisfaction of saving a life outweighs their concerns.
"When an injured animal is rehabilitated and returned to nature through the hard work of our staff, it makes me feel wonderful to be part of this process," expressed Ma Jinglin, a dedicated member of the station.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
Located at the intersection of Gansu and Qinghai provinces in northwest China, Qilian Mountain National Park is a sanctuary for thousands of rare wildlife species, such as snow leopards, Pallas's cats, and bharals. It is among ten newly established national parks in the nation.
Ma Cunxin, who leads the wildlife rehabilitation and breeding station within the park, along with his team, is tasked with rescuing wild animals and monitoring the area's ecology.
"As a child, I loved small animals. So, I chose to study biology at university. During several field expeditions with my tutor, I developed a great fondness for wild animals," he shared.
The station has been actively recording the movements of numerous rare wildlife species and contributing to the biological population monitoring efforts in the park.
"We've set up cameras to monitor various ecosystems. One camera captured five snow leopards in a single image, and another, six Pallas's cats. We've also filmed Chinese mountain cats breeding at the highest altitude ever recorded. These are significant achievements for us," Ma noted.
The park spans an extensive area, and the small team, which includes two women, is located at a remote site in its center. They face numerous challenges in their work.
"Many of the wild animals we find can't be saved. We feel quite helpless. It's heart-breaking," admitted Xu Fengyi, a ranger at the wildlife rehabilitation and breeding station.
"This isn't the career path my family wanted me to follow. There is, as they say, little future in it. But I think the meaning of life is different for everyone," said Zhu Hongyi, another ranger in the group.
Despite the harsh environment and exhausting daily routines, the young team members emphasize that the satisfaction of saving a life outweighs their concerns.
"When an injured animal is rehabilitated and returned to nature through the hard work of our staff, it makes me feel wonderful to be part of this process," expressed Ma Jinglin, a dedicated member of the station.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
