You Haibing: A former bird poacher turned protector

Migratory birds perch on branches in Ninghai Bay, Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/Ningbo Daily]

You Haibing and his wife did their usual patrol of the wetlands in Ninghai Bay on April 8.

He brought his boat to shore after noticing that a spoonbill was desperately flapping its wings on a nearby island as it tried to free itself from the nylon rope it became entangled with.

After freeing the bird, the couple dressed its wounds before letting it take to the skies again.

This is the eighth wild bird that You has saved.

You, who is from Xiashan village, Qiangjiao town, Ninghai county, used to hunt birds.

"The hunted birds would be eaten or sold as our living conditions were so poor in the past," recalled the 56-year-old.

But when bird protection efforts from the local authorities were heightened, You gave up his shotgun and instead joined a team of volunteers consisting of boatmen, police officers and villagers to protect the birds.

Since its establishment, the team of volunteers has grown from 12 to the current 127 people.

The volunteers not only conduct patrols in the day and night to drive away illegal hunters, but are also responsible for collecting garbage in the habitats.

Due to their efforts, Ninghai Bay is now a haven for migratory birds.

Located in the middle of the migration route between East Asia and Australia, a large flock of migratory birds would stop at the bay for roughly a week to forage every spring and autumn. Because of this, crowds of birdwatchers would travel to the bay to view water fowls, and this has in turn generated a handsome income for local residents.

Some of the locals have opened homestays, aquatic product shops and restaurants to cater to these visitors.

You Haiping has also benefited from this influx of visitors. Since 2013, You has been offering cruises that take visitors to admire birds.