Life Relay in the Snow and Wind: Stranded Egret Rescued with Multi-party Efforts in Shennongjia

The continuous days of sharp temperature drop and snowfall have covered Shennongjia in a silver blanket, while also posing a severe test for the wild animals here. On November 19, an egret injured in the wind and snow, received a warm rescue by the joint efforts of tourists, police and staff from the Shennongjia National Park returned to nature successfully the next day.

On the morning of the incident, several tourists accidentally spotted an egret huddled on the shallow bank by the lake while visiting the Dajiuhu Scenic Area. At that time the egret's legs were obviously frostbitten, shivering in the bitter cold wind. Its feathers were soaked with ice and snow, and even standing up seemed very difficult for it. Witnessing this scene, the tourists immediately launched a rescue. They used the cardboard boxes and clothing with them to build a temporary shelter for the egret in the wind, carefully wrapped its frostbitten parts with gloves, and called the police for help the first time.

After receiving the police report, officers from the Dajiuhu Town Police Station dispatched quickly. While rushing to the scene, they immediately contacted the Pingqian Management & Conservation Center of the Dajiuhu Agency of the national park administration and promptly relayed the egret's injury condition and specific location. The delivery of this emergency message instantly strung together a relay race of life saving. The staff of the center arrived at the scene with professional rescue equipment. After careful examination, they confirmed that the egret's prolonged exposure to low temperature led to serious physical exhaustion and partial frostbite on the left leg, but fortunately the injury was not serious. The staff then gently placed the egret in a soft cloth-lined transfer box and sent it to the center for professional treatment.

In the office of the center, the staff has created a constant temperature environment for the egrets to recuperate. They used warm water to clean the egret's frostbitten parts, carefully applied special ointment, and prepared fresh minnows and nutritious feed according to its food habits. Under the careful care of the staff, the egret's frostbite gradually healed and its mental state improved significantly, not only being able to move its limbs flexibly, but also taking the initiative to peck for food, showing a good state of recovery.

At noon on November 20, winter's sunshine penetrated the clouds and poured into the wetland, and the caretakers chose an area with excellent ecological environment and abundant fish and shrimp as the release point. When the transfer box was slowly opened, the egret first looked cautiously, then stretched its wings and flew under the blessed gaze of the crowd. The white figure crossing the blue sky not only drew a successful conclusion for the rescue operation across the snow and wind, but also became the most touching scenery of Shennongjia in winter.

Every part of this warm-hearted rescue that lasted nearly 48 hours, from the accidental discovery of tourists to the rapid response of the police, and then to the scientific treatment of the staff, is a testment of the reverence for life and guardianship. When the egret's figure finally disappears into the distant mountains and forests, it takes with it not only healed wounds, but also mankind's deep affection for its natural partners.

In recent years, Shennongjia National Park Candidate Area has continued to improve the wildlife monitoring and rescue system, and has continuously improved its emergency response capacity through the establishment of a joint mechanism, the provision of specialized equipment and the training of rescuers. (Text/Zuo Xiaoying, Translation/Liu Yiyi)