In early April, a biodiversity survey team from the Luohu bureau of the Ecology and Environment Bureau embarked on an exploratory trek through the lush forest of Wutong Mountain, the tallest peak in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. Their mission involved strategically placing four infrared cameras equipped with heat sensors in remote areas of the woodland.
The team’s efforts bore fruit in September when they returned to collect the camera data. During the analysis of the footage, they were thrilled to discover images of a wild Chinese pangolin, a species that had not been sighted in the Luohu district for over 30 years.
Huang Qin, the technical adviser of the survey team, expressed his delight, stating, “It was a pleasant surprise for us. It’s evidence of the effectiveness of our environmental conservation efforts in the area.” This sighting not only highlights the environmental biodiversity of the region but also signifies a positive outcome stemming from concerted conservation initiatives.
This remarkable find serves as a beacon of hope for wildlife preservation, reaffirming the importance of protecting natural habitats and encouraging further action in environmental conservation. It underscores the progress that can be achieved when efforts are made to safeguard ecosystems, suggesting that other rare species might also be on the rebound in the region.