HARBIN－Qiu Shi and her colleagues often spend a dozen hours on patrol in the mountains, with only bread and sausages to eat. Their work is tough and physically demanding, but fulfilling nonetheless.

They are members of the first all-woman patrol team in the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park. Administered by the forestry and grassland bureau of the city of Dongning, Heilongjiang province, the team was established in 2019 to help with wildlife protection and provide employment for local women.

Qiu, 36, is the oldest of the six guards, all of whom were born in the 1980s and 90s. They are in charge of protecting Siberian tigers, Amur leopards and other wildlife in the reserve.

She said that her job has brought her closer to nature, and that she is grateful for the opportunity to protect wild animals and their habitats. "Each patrol we conduct in the mountains requires tens of thousands of steps. In summer, our clothes are soaked in sweat," said Li Gang, deputy director of Chaoyanggou forest farm in Dongning.

Li said that the team has accumulated a great deal of knowledge about the mountain environment in which they operate. "We see human footprints, but also animal tracks. The latter can tell us about the wildlife population in a certain area and their main range of activity," Qiu said.

Team member Bai Xue used to have fair skin, but after a few months of patrolling, she developed a tan. She has followed in the steps of her forest-worker father and now has a better appreciation of his hardworking life. In winter, the temperature in Dongning can dip to -20 C. Before heading into the snow-covered mountains, members cheer each other on, shouting, "Let's go! Come on!"

These exhortations have become a kind of ritual, an expression of power that keeps them going.

Bai said that removing traps set by poachers is one of their most important duties. At first, she wasn't able to destroy the traps, but it became easier with more practice, although her hands are now callused from the heavy work.

According to Qiu, the animals are like their friends, and the most exciting thing about patrolling the mountains is checking the infrared cameras monitoring their movements.

"Every time we see an image of a Siberian tiger sleeping or wandering about in a leisurely manner, we are excited," she said. "It's like finding treasure."

The images collected by the team suggest that the wildlife populations are expanding, Qiu said.

"Our efforts have achieved results," she said, noting that the data will be provided to experts to study the migration patterns of Siberian tigers, Amur leopards and other animals.

During patrols, team members scatter straw, grain and other food at supplementary feeding points to help the wildlife. They also rescue injured animals wherever they find them.

The work is hard and the days are long, but Qiu said she intends to continue, determined to protect the wildlife of this important natural habitat.

Xinhua