Forest protection starts with picking up a lynx girl

Chapter 531 The Three Chen Sisters: You actually have a dog outside!
Ignoring the fight between the cubs, Chen Ying took the information and verified with the rescuers about the facilities and equipment and the living conditions of the seals, then sent the two staff members away.

The elderly couple next door waited until the rescuers left before coming over to help clean up the surrounding food scraps and other garbage.

"Chen, two tourists wanted to use your place to take photos, probably wanting to take photos with seals. We didn't agree, so we asked them to contact you directly."

Taking photos with seals is one of the daily tourist activities in coastal seal habitats. However, in many places, fishermen will hit the seals with wooden sticks or other objects to make them temporarily unconscious in order to satisfy tourists and make them pay. After taking the photos, they will directly throw them back without caring whether they will be dangerous.

These behaviors continue despite repeated bans. The only positive trend now is that people will choose to hit the seals with less threatening objects, and will carefully release them back to the shore after taking pictures, instead of being as rough as before.

But this has not brought any real improvement to the living conditions of the seals.

The young couple saw Haibo getting along well with the old couple, so they came up with the idea of ​​taking a photo with him. After all, a fainted seal is not as good-looking as a sober and lively seal.

Chen Ying would definitely not agree. You can use a different angle to take photos, but don’t think too much about asking wild animals to cooperate with you in taking photos.

After settling her younger sister down, Chen Ying took out the materials and began to organize and write the paper.

Considerable progress has been made in the artificial breeding of Iberian lynx; the difficulty now lies in releasing them into the wild.

Unlike the Eurasian lynx, which currently has a wide range of activities, there is no exchange channel between the two large populations of Iberian lynx, and its activity range is continuing to shrink due to human activities.

Although strict protection measures have been introduced and nature reserves have been designated, the rights and interests of wild animals cannot be strictly protected in such an environment abroad.

Compared with the poaching in China, the situation is simply unbearable.

The year before last, when they went to collect biological samples and observation data, a multi-person poaching incident occurred in the local area. Unfortunately, the case could not be concluded in the end due to insufficient evidence.

But it is not without protection achievements.

Twenty years ago, the Iberian lynx population was critically endangered, with only 94 adults left, of which only 27 were capable of reproduction.

Thanks to twenty years of unremitting efforts by local governments and international conservation organizations, the population has recovered to more than 2,000 according to the latest data last year, and its status has been downgraded from endangered to vulnerable.

The breeding and release program led by the team led by instructor Chen Ying is progressing smoothly. They are responsible for the release in some mountainous areas of Portugal. At present, it appears that the released lynxes have settled down in the local area and have carried out two rounds of natural reproduction.

I had just finished writing the first draft of the paper when Klas called me.

His main task this year is to formulate a new round of release plan based on the progress of the "Life Project".

The main purpose of this project is to restore the Mediterranean shrub forest, build an ecological corridor to connect the original ecological areas of the Liberian lynx that have been destroyed by humans, and restore the connection between areas that have been fragmented by human destruction of roads, railways and other facilities.

In addition, the two neighboring countries where these lynxes live have jointly established a cross-border protected area and carried out a reintroduction plan in the Alana Mountains last year.

Chen Ying's original plan was to take some time to visit the Pyrenees Mountains after completing the first draft of the paper to check out the living conditions of the Iberian lynx after their release.

But it seems that this plan has to be postponed a little bit. At least he needs to make sure that his little sister can survive before he can leave.

After writing down the work to be done and marking it according to its urgency, Chen Ying prepared to turn off the lights and take a rest.

Two mother seals and three pups were resting near the cabin. When Haibo was not going out, he would sleep in the pool at home.

The elderly couple next door talked to Chen Ying in the evening. They wanted to connect the two gardens and then cover two-thirds of the garden with sea sand, mainly around the pool, to create a comfortable sleeping environment for the seals.

In addition, the old man suggested retaining the water bed that was previously built for Haibo, and rebuilding a gentle slope on the opposite wall of the pool to allow the seal to take a short nap while playing in the water.

Chen Ying accepted the old man's suggestion. The specific work could be completed by the old man and Murakami's workers. Chen Ying only needed to pay and accept the work.

The next morning, after getting up and moving around, Chen Ying jogged along the beach, observing the condition of the ringed seals on the coast.

This is not a popular tourist attraction, and few tourists come here specifically to see the seals. After all, there are more ringed seals near the Arctic Circle, and the tourist attractions and projects there are more complete.

There are advantages to having fewer people. Everyone knows each other every day, and within a year, everyone becomes familiar with each other.

When Chen Ying passes by her neighbors, she will stop to chat and take the opportunity to learn about the seals they have observed.

Their small village is located in the west, on a highway that connects several seaside towns. It is also the favorite road for self-driving enthusiasts. However, because the village does not have unique tourism resources, there are relatively few tourists who stop here, and the lives of local residents will not be frequently disturbed.

But what was a bit surprising today was that there were several cars parked outside the village chief's house, and it seemed that someone was making a noise.

As an outsider, Chen Ying rarely takes the initiative to get involved in disputes among local residents.

This time was no exception. After standing and watching for a while in the distance, he was about to turn around and leave, but before he walked too far, he heard someone calling his name.

"Chen, thank God you're back." The fat village chief ran all the way over from his doorstep, asking Chen Ying in an exaggerated tone to help no matter what.

Chen Ying frowned. He didn't mind helping out a little, and he didn't care much about the issue of benefits, but the tone of the village chief made him uncomfortable and he felt offended.

Just as he was about to find an excuse to shirk, a scream was heard from the crowd, followed by an exclamation.

The next moment, a white-haired animal rushed out of the crowd and ran towards him.

Chen Ying's face changed slightly, and just as she was about to squat down, the white animal turned a corner and rushed into the garden of another resident's house.

The village chief cursed under his breath, and without talking to Chen Ying, he quickly gathered people to look for the animal.

The crowd parted, revealing three young men leaning against the car, crying and cursing.

If Chen Ying saw correctly, one of them still had blood on his arm, probably because he was bitten by the animal.

This village is too small to have any clinic. The nearest clinic is in a larger town nearby.

Although Chen Ying is a veterinarian, he is better than someone who knows nothing. He sighed and walked over to ask if he needed help.

The wounds were obviously caused by canine bites, and the most likely and rarest animal in the area is the Arctic fox. Of course, it could also be a red fox. After all, the international animal community knows that due to climate change, red foxes have expanded northward, compressing the living environment of Arctic foxes. Currently, only the Far North Reserve has a stable number of Arctic foxes.

But their village is located in the coastal lowlands, and Arctic foxes live in the mountain tundra and permafrost and high altitude areas within the Arctic Circle. It is extremely rare to see Arctic foxes in coastal areas, and usually the Arctic foxes do not come here on their own initiative.

A thought flashed through Chen Ying's mind, and he looked at the three people with a bit of scrutiny.

"Hey, you didn't think we caught this guy, did you?" The young man who was the least injured muttered, "If we had known that this guy had such a violent temper, we wouldn't have saved him."

"Save it? How do you say that?"

From the young man, Chen Ying learned that they had actually rescued the little guy from the mouth of a wolverine.

"So, what about the wolverine?"

"It ran away. We scared it and it left the fox and ran away. Look, that's it."

This guy, about one meter long and looking like a small brown bear, is the famous predator "Arctic wolverine".

This guy has a wide range of diets, and he especially likes to hunt reindeer. Especially in winter, he will eat part of a reindeer on the spot after hunting it, and hide the rest in several portions, and then dig it out and continue to eat when food is scarce.

In the cold Arctic winter, the wilderness is a natural refrigerator.

After complaining for a while, the three young men waited for the village chief to come back and communicated for a while. The three decided to go to the neighboring town to get vaccinated first.

After all, the fox is a wild animal, and who knows if it carries deadly bacteria.

Before they left, Chen Ying used the medicine at home to disinfect their wounds and asked them to say hello to the doctor in the neighboring town on her behalf.

Four months ago, when Chen Ying was passing by a neighboring town, she saved the doctor's pet dog, and the two became friends.

After the three young men left, Chen Ying packed up her things and prepared to go back home.

As soon as we reached the beach, we saw two large and four small seals, as well as a few medium-sized seals, looking alert and ready to attack the bushes on the side of the road.

His heart skipped a beat, and he wondered if it was the little fox running towards him.
It shouldn't be that bad. There are few people in their village, and the houses are far apart. His house and the old couple's house are also about 50 to 60 meters apart, and they are only adjacent to the garden.

His house is even farther from his neighbor's house on the other side, and there is almost ten meters of wild bushes in between.

Although it is a wild shrub, every household keeps the plants near their homes neatly maintained, and there is no garbage on the ground except fallen leaves and grass.

There are usually some small wild animals here, but they are all common animals, such as birds and small squirrels, and their size is not enough to cause such a big commotion.

Chen Ying picked up an outdoor broom for sweeping fallen leaves and approached the bushes carefully.

As soon as he approached, he heard a whimpering sound. He slowly squatted down and looked along the sparse roots of the bushes. A shivering little creature met his gaze.

The little guy was frightened and jumped out, running towards the cabin along the lawn on the other side where there was some snow.

Chen Ying hurriedly followed, and after some trouble, he caught the little guy, who looked like he was not yet fully grown, in the corner of the tool shed next to the wooden house.

The little guy bared his teeth at Chen Ying in a threatening manner. After two or three minutes, his eyes gradually became confused, and even his barking became like a clip.

"Oh, it hurts. It hurts so much. I'm so hungry. Oh, oh~"

Chen Ying took a pair of thick work gloves from the wooden rack next to him, put them on with difficulty, then picked up the little fox and checked it.

There were no visible injuries on its fur, but after parting the fur on its neck, two sharp tooth holes were found. It was lucky that it was rescued by three young men right after being bitten by the wolverine. The wound was not very deep, and the blood was blocked by the thick fur as soon as it flowed out, which indirectly played a role in stopping the bleeding.

The posture of being lifted up by Chen Ying was not very comfortable. The little fox hugged his arms with its four paws, and delicate sounds kept coming out, which made people feel sick.

As soon as he brought it out of the tool shed, he saw the village chief and two villagers walking towards his house with hunting tools.

"Chen, how is this little guy? Should we call the Animal Protection Association and ask them to come and take him away?"

They knew that Chen Ying was a veterinarian and that he was rescuing seals, but the village chief and his companions felt that Chen Ying should be more familiar with seals or marine life. Land creatures, especially the Arctic fox, a species unique to their area, should not be within the scope of Chen Ying's rescue efforts.

"This little guy was frightened and has some wounds on his body. I need to take care of it immediately. If it is convenient for you, Mr. Village Chief, please send an email to the Animal Protection Association in the name of the village to see how they plan to deal with this injured Arctic fox."

The little fox's injury is not fatal. With medicine, it will recover in three or four days at most.

According to the laws of the country where it is located, the Arctic fox is an endangered species. Individuals are not allowed to privately raise or dispose of protected wild animals. They must be handed over to professional organizations for handling.

Moreover, the Animal Welfare Law also stipulates that non-professionals who rescue wild animals without authorization may cause secondary injuries due to improper operation, and their health status must be assessed by a licensed veterinarian.

Fortunately, Chen Ying was studying for a doctorate in veterinary medicine at the most prestigious university in his country, and in the past three years he had obtained various certificates required for animal rescue. It was no problem for him to temporarily treat the injury of the Arctic fox.

Under normal circumstances, rescuers will place the rescued Arctic fox in a dark cardboard box and ensure that the surroundings are relatively quiet to reduce the stress response of the injured fox.

But this Arctic fox doesn't want to live in a small dark room. It just wants to be hugged by a gentle two-legged animal.
After cutting off the contaminated hair, treating the wound and applying a simple bandage, Chen Ying carried the little fox into the wooden house.

The room on the east side of the first floor is a specially converted temporary animal shelter. There is a large cabinet in it filled with many toys that cats and dogs like.

Speaking of which, there are two color types of Arctic foxes.

The white type generally lives in the tundra, mainly preying on lemmings, etc. The blue type usually lives in coastal areas, mainly preying on fish, and occasionally preying on marine mammals, seabirds, seals, etc.

This little guy should be white, and its food is mainly meat, so after its wounds were treated, Chen Ying put the chicken that had been thawed in advance in front of it.

The little fellow sniffed it, then took a bite, his eyes slightly narrowed, and his expression was very satisfied!
(End of this chapter)