Pic story: breeder of red-crowned cranes in Panjin, NE China

An aerial drone photo taken on March 18, 2024 shows Zhao Shiwei checking the condition of red-crowned cranes at Liaohekou National Nature Reserve in Panjin, northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Zhao Shiwei is a staff member of the crane breeding and protection station in Liaohekou National Nature Reserve. He graduated from college in 1993 and started to work at the nature reserve in Panjin City, which sits along a primary bird migration corridor, welcoming a myriad of wild migratory birds to breed and winter annually.

The endangered red-crowned crane is under first-class state protection, dubbed one of the most sensitive indicator species of a wetland ecosystem.

In 1996, Zhao and his colleagues successfully hatched three baby red-crowned cranes, and gradually explored a complete set of breeding methods for red-crowned cranes since then. From 2016 to 2023, Zhao and his colleagues have bred 356 red-crowned cranes and released 140 in the wild, which effectively supplemented the wild population of red-crowned cranes. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Zhao Shiwei feeds red-crowned cranes at Liaohekou National Nature Reserve in Panjin, northeast China's Liaoning Province, March 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Zhao Shiwei observes migratory birds with a telescope at Liaohekou National Nature Reserve in Panjin, northeast China's Liaoning Province, March 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Zhao Shiwei collects fallen feathers of red-crowned cranes at Liaohekou National Nature Reserve in Panjin, northeast China's Liaoning Province, March 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Zhao Shiwei checks the condition of a red-crowned crane at Liaohekou National Nature Reserve in Panjin, northeast China's Liaoning Province, March 18, 2024.(Xinhua/Yang Qing)

A wild red-crowned crane flies at Liaohekou National Nature Reserve in Panjin, northeast China's Liaoning Province, March 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

An aerial drone photo taken on March 18, 2024 shows Zhao Shiwei checking the condition of red-crowned cranes at Liaohekou National Nature Reserve in Panjin, northeast China's Liaoning Province. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Zhao Shiwei takes records of migratory birds at Liaohekou National Nature Reserve in Panjin, northeast China's Liaoning Province, March 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Zhao Shiwei feeds a red-crowned crane at Liaohekou National Nature Reserve in Panjin, northeast China's Liaoning Province, March 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Zhao Shiwei checks the condition of red-crowned cranes at Liaohekou National Nature Reserve in Panjin, northeast China's Liaoning Province, March 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

Zhao Shiwei checks the condition of red-crowned cranes through a monitor at Liaohekou National Nature Reserve in Panjin, northeast China's Liaoning Province, March 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)

A red-crowned crane eats corn at Liaohekou National Nature Reserve in Panjin, northeast China's Liaoning Province, March 18, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Qing)