“Every year at the end of October, black-necked cranes fly to the wetlands and fields near our village one after another. After a stable winter, they will fly to northern Tibet in March next year. When they come back, they may bring with their babies.” 59-year-old Tenzin is a ranger in the Lhunzhub County Black-necked Crane Nature Reserve in Lhasa, Tibet. He has been taking care of the black-necked cranes for 7 years when they overwinter in the nature reserve. He has three tasks: Patrol, feed and rescue.

Tenzin believes that the reason for black-necked cranes spending winter in Kadong Village and Hutou Mountain Reservoir is that villagers can live in harmony with these wild animals in addition to the ideal food, water sources and climate. “In order to ensure they have enough food, we will plough the land a little later,” Tenzin says，the villagers have been accustomed to the existence of black-necked cranes, protecting them but also keeping a distance.

The black-necked crane is a national first-class protected animal in China, and it is the only crane species that lives and breeds on the plateau. At present, the population of black-necked cranes in Tibet has grown from less than 2,000 in the 20th century to more than 10,000. This year, there are about 2,000 to 2,200 black-necked cranes wintering in Lhunzhub County.