Forthreedecades,Phurbuhasbeentakingcareoftheseblack-neckedcranesinthewetlandsofLongbao.
BirdsofaFeather
AnativeofChinduCounty,YushuPrefecture,Phurbulefthishometownwhenhewas16toattendjuniorhighschoolinXining,theprovincialseat,whereheconcentratedonphysicaleducation.Aftergraduation,hegaveupanopportunitytojointheprovincialarttroupebecausehisfamilywantedhimtoacceptanofferfromalocalgovernmentdepartmentinchargeofagricultureandanimalhusbandrynearhishometown.Hevolunteeredtotakecareoftheblack-neckedcranesinthenaturereservetwoyearslaterduethelackofhelpthere.“Iwasborntobefriendbirds,”hegrins.“Iamsoluckytohavesomanyopportunitiestowatchthemandtakephotos.AndifIcontributetotheirprotection,that’sevenbetter.”
Lifewastoughthere,withonlyasinglerowoftile-roofedhouseswithoutelectricityorrunningwater.PhurbuwasproudtoacceptthechallengeandjointhefirstgroupofcraneguardsalongsideotherlocalTibetans.Hedidn’tregretenduringthehardshipscausedbystrongultravioletrays,bigtemperaturefluctuationsandharshlivingconditions.Withhardlyanyvegetablestoeat,hestillsurvivesonfriednoodles,butterteaanddriedyakmeat;andhesavespotatoesforspecialoccasions.Hispatrolissodemandingthatforseveralmonthsatatime,hebarelyfindsachancetoreturnhometochangeclothes.
“AllIwanttodoafterpatrollingthelakeistoeatsomethingwarmandgettobed,”Phurbuexplains.Hedoesmisshomeandlaments,“Ifeelguiltyaboutspendingsolittletimewithmyfamily:I’vehardlyeverembracedmysonandhavenoideahowhewasraised.”
Hehaswornouttwomotorcyclesshuttlingbetweenworkandhome.Thesingletripacrossthebumpymountainroadstakesthreehours.“Ireceiveverylowsubsidiesforgasandfood.”
“Howhaveyoulivedlikethisfornearly30years?”
“PeoplesayIamoneofthebirds,”Phurbumuttersbeforelightingacigaretteandstaringoffintothedistance.Theblack-neckedcraneistheonlyspeciesofcranetobreedandliveonplateaus.byPhurbuSleepingamongtheCranes
Thenaturereservespans100squarekilometersofpermafrost.Insummer,sedgecommunitiespopup,providingthecraneswiththeirfavoritefoodssuchasKobresialittledalei,Pedicularisverticillata,andDicotyledoneaeonthelakesideaswellasmare’s-tailandCatabrosaaquaticainthewater.Theperiodfrommid-MaytoearlyJulyisthebreedingseasonforthesemigrantbirds,duringwhichtimetheyareoftenthreatenedbypredatorssuchassnowleopards,wolves,andfoxes.Thisistheperiodwhentheyneedthemostprotection.
Phurbuandhiscolleaguepitchatentonasmallislet,aboutakilometersouthofhisstation,andsleeprightnexttothebirds.Everyevening,theyspendanhourcrossingthelakewiththetentandquiltsontheirheadstoreachtheisletwheretheystayatnight.
Thewidedifferenceintemperaturebetweendayandnightmakesthemissionevenmoredifficult:Whennightfallsandthetemperaturedropsbelowfreezing,theyfearflashhailstorms.Mosquitobitesareinevitable.Itisextremelyquietatnightexceptforthecallsofbar-headedgeeseandblack-neckedcranes.Highly-experiencedPhurbucanidentifyattackersbyhearingthecries,whethermanorredfox.“Whenapoacherattacks,bar-headedgeesejittercollectivelyandblack-neckedcranesyellloudandclearcontinuously,”Phurbuexplains.
Phurbuconfrontsanyonewhoattemptstostealeggs,andmostendupleavingthem.
Hecan’tcounthowmanytimeshisfeethavebeeninjuredbecausehestoodinpeatallsummer,andhenowhasseverearthritis.Twoyearsago,fortunately,theWorldWildFundforNaturefinancedtheinstallationofcamerasinthepeatsohedoesn’thavetopatrolatnight.
Asamajorbreedinghabitatforblack-neckedcranesinthenorthoftheTibetAutonomousRegion,theLongbaoShoalNationalNatureReservehaswitnessedthespecies’populationgrowingfrom19tomorethan200overthe30yearssinceitsestablishmentin1986.byPhurbuSplendorofLife
TheLongbaoNationalShoalNatureReservewasestablishedin1986,atwhichtimetheblack-neckedcranepopulationtallied22.Thelatestsurveyshowsthatthenumberhashit216,accountingforafourthoftheworld’stotal.Today,LongbaoShoalhasbeenincludedinaprojecttoprotecttheecologicalenvironmentinconservationareasofthesourceregionsofthethreerivers(Yangtze,Yellow,andLancang).Thisisgoodnewsfortheprotectionoftheendangeredblackneckedcranes.
Phurbuandhiscolleaguewakeupat7:00a.m.everydaytopatrolbycararoundthelake,havelunchwithaherder,drinkacupofbutterteaandcontinuetheirjourneyaroundalargercircle,countingthebirdsatsevenprotectionzones.Hereturnstohisdwellingintheprotectionstationaround8:00p.m.Hethentakesnotesonthewholeday’strip,analyzesthelocationofthebirds,drinkssomebarleywinewithdriedbeefandgoestobed.
Afternearly30yearsofdedication,Phurbuisnowdeputydirectorofthenaturereserve,whichhasfurtherraisedhisstandingwithneighboringherders,mostofwhomstilldon’tunderstandhismotivationtocontributesomuch.Theythinkoftheanimalsasjustafewbirdsandeggs.
ThingsarequitedifferentforPhurbu:Guardingthistractoflandhasbecomepartofhislife.Somehavepushedhimtowardsretirement,buthedoesn’twanttogiveupthe100-square-kilometerwetlandandhishopesforit.Hislifewouldseememptywithoutthesoundsofblack-neckedcranesinbreedingseason.