138 species of national key protected wild animals in 46 families and 25 orders dwell in Shennongjia National Park, which include 22 species of mammals, 98 species of birds, 6 species of amphibians and reptiles, 3 species of fish, and 9 species of insects.
On the evening of May 9, moonlight quietly filtered through the forest canopy, casting an almost mystical glow over the vast wilderness of Shennongjia. A four-member team—Kevin Messenger, an American professor at Nanjing Forestry University, along with Li Yecheng, Wang Qi and Benjamin Genter (or “Ben” for short)—set out from Yichang for a night survey along the Jiuchong-Songbai Road. Their eyes scanned every ditch and every pile of fallen leaves, like seasoned hunters in search of elusive prey.
My journey to Shennongjia, a stunning winter wonderland at 31 degrees north latitude, was nothing short of magical. Despite the snowfall having ceased days before our arrival, the "Roof of Central China" was still blanketed in a pristine white snow, with its peak, Shennongding, glistening in ice and snow.
With a forest coverage rate of 91.1%,
Shennongjia homes to over 460 bird species,
accounting for 80% of total bird species in Hubei Province (580 species)
and over 30% of the nation's total.