Local branch working to keep an endangered species safe in Northeast China

Fastening his safety harness to a pylon, Na Changchun lifted materials and equipment about 30 meters above the ground and started meticulously installing a square protection board.

Two meters above his head was a nest of a family of oriental white storks, with three birdlings resting inside.

This is the sixth time this year that Na, an electrician for State Grid Qiqihar Electric Power in Qiqihar, a city in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, has installed a protection board on a pylon. The board not only ensures a stable power supply, but also protects the birds from the dangers posed by transmission lines.

Living high on the power towers, the storks sometimes become a headache for the electric power department.

That's because their acidic droppings increase the possibility of the power supply tripping and may even cause pollution flash-over (in which combustible material ignites), posing a risk to the birds' safety.