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(cont.)
Having managed the specimen room for 15
years on a voluntary basis, Wu is used to
exchanges with international experts. |
Yet his mission was not finished.
"Why does this animal species live here while others
are elsewhere? Is there any connection between them?"
A great variety of animals live in nature, constituting an
amazing forest ecology. Wu was struck by many interesting
questions. Due to his passion for ecology and the pursuit
of knowledge, he applied for funding from the Forestry
Ministry to carry out varied specific studies.
"Take Cabot's Tragopan as an example. I was drawn by its
beauty and surprised it has a pair of horns! To get to know
such an interesting bird, I tried hard to gather references
and delved into them." At that time it was difficult to find
references and books in China, so Wu sought help from
his family and friends overseas. He received a whole pile of
reference books, but in fact, most of the information came
from his first-hand research.
"I conducted thorough surveys on White-headed Leaf Monkey including the structure and distribution of their
populations. I knew very well which families lived in
which mountains, where they fed, their activity routes,
breeding and so on," Wu enumerated. "Over the years, I
learned a lot about forest ecology and delved into every
question to study the relations between animals and
habitats."
Wu has written more than 30 papers, and attended
several international conferences. His research results have
won him three awards. He was conferred the Advanced
Practitioner Award by the Forestry Department. Wu
has also worked for the China Wildlife Conservation
Association (CWCA) and is currently the Honorary
Chairman of the Wildlife Conservation Association
of Nanning, and a member of the expert team of the
Environmental Protection Bureau in Nanning.
Wu is most grateful for the support and understanding
from his family. "At that time, there were no mobile
phones, so it was quite usual that I couldn't get in touch
with my family for months." He is particularly thankful
toward his wife who always asked him to take care and
reassured him that she would be okay every time he
set off for a field trip. "She is kind and gentle. Though
sometimes she might be disgruntled about my work, she
would calm down when I said something nice to her." Wu
smiled when talking about his wife. "Did you miss your
family when working?" I asked. "I was so busy that I didn't
have time to think about this. After hunting, especially in
summer, I had to make the specimens quickly before they
decayed. So I had to work around the clock and was very
tired when the job was done. As young men, we could all
have a good sleep after drinking some alcohol. In fact, I
slept particularly well in a forest!"
A devoted educator
Wu has been living on a pension since 1992. Although
retired, he is still very busy. "Now, I have time to
organise and contemplate all the information and issues
accumulated in the last half century. That's my personal
mission and I am happy to do it." One of his tasks is to
write articles on wildlife for primary and secondary school
students. Each one is bilingual, about 250 words, and with
a beautiful photo.
Wu has collated several hundreds photos of rare
plants and animals taken in the wild, to facilitate the public education in schools |
"There are many stories behind every plant or animal.
For instance, a snake is venomous but at the same time it
is also a cure for coronary heart disease. I think using this
approach to talk about forest ecology can arouse students'
interest," Wu said. He has actively promoted education
about environmental protection. Now retired, he works
even harder on this. During International Bird-watching
Day each March, the public can see his specimens and
photos in touring exhibitions. At the same time Wu is
invited to deliver interesting talks about birds and the
environment. Besides all this, Wu continues his surveys on
various themes. For instance, he was commissioned by a
trading company to provide a feasibility study quantifying
the annual exports of Leopard Cat. He was also in charge
of the overall planning work to avoid bird strikes at airports
in Nanning and in Shantou, Guangdong.
Any special thoughts after working in the area of
conservation and education for almost half century?
"You should know that you are not doing all this for
fame, but for yourself and others; as a member of the
Earth's community, you should do it." Wu continued,
"When talking about biological diversity, every one of us
is involved. Protecting ecological balance and biological
diversity is essential for our survival. All of us will suffer
from degradation of the natural environment. Take
Guangxi as an example: due to forest destruction, 133
rivers are no longer fit for drinking."
Did he ever think of giving up all the hard work? "It's
been pretty hard but I feel really fulfilled in my work. I
conducted thorough and comprehensive surveys on the
fauna and flora resources of Guangxi, leaving a valuable
legacy to the people and to posterity. I am proud that
I earned every cent received from my country. People
respect me and I'm so happy when they call me an animal
expert," said Wu cheerfully.
A couple of years ago, a suspected Silver Fir was discovered
in a mountain and Wu was invited to join the survey team.
"If that was a new distribution site for the species, it would
be very important information," Wu said. The team hiked
for three and a half hours. Yet Wu needed two more hours
to reach the spot for first-hand information and spent
the night in a cave. Wu said that in his younger days, he
could have made it in two hours. Would he continue with
his fieldwork in the forest? "When something important
is found out there, I will definitely be there too!" Wu
laughed heartily.
Hearing his laughter, I recalled the closing paragraph
of an article written by Wu: "The colourful and vibrant
primary forests are so beautiful and inviting. They give out
pure air and streams. A world without forests is beyond
my imagination. I will continue to devote myself to these
forests, with which I am deeply in love." Wu's passion for
forests and natural ecology has been motivating him for
years; his devotion and action has influenced others to join
hands to conserve our natural environment.
4 Prionailurus bengalensis
5 Rusa unicolor
6 Lophura nycthemera
7 Syrmaticus humiae
8 Trachypithecus poliocephalus leucocephalus
9 Shinisaurus crocodilurus
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