Patrol officers guard sacred cranes of Tibet

Together with other patrol officers, the 59-year-old has been helping to keep the birds safe for nearly seven years.

Their efforts have paid off. The number of black-necked cranes in Tibet has grown to more than 8,000 from fewer than 2,000 at the end of the 20th century.

Listed as a first-class State-protected animal, the cranes are unique to the plateau region. The Tibetan people regard them as sacred.