Forest Ranger, starting from Picking Up a Lynx Girl

Not paying attention to the frolicking of the little cubs, Chen Ying verified the facilities and the living conditions of the seals with the rescue personnel using the documentation, and then saw the two staff members off.

Only after the rescue personnel left did the elderly couple next door come over to help clean up the food scraps and other trash around.

"Chen, there are two tourists who want to borrow your place for photography, probably aiming to take pictures with the seals. We didn't agree and suggested they contact you directly."

Taking pictures with seals is one of the daily tourist activities in coastal seal living areas, but in many places, fishermen, to ensure tourists pay with satisfaction, would use wooden sticks or other objects to strike the seals, making them temporarily unconscious, and then throw them back right after the photos, without considering the potential dangers.

Though efforts to curb such behaviors have been ongoing, now the only slightly better tendency is that those people choose to hit the seals with less threatening objects, and carefully place them back by the shore after the photos, unlike the previously rough actions.

Yet, these actions don't practically improve the survival conditions of the seals.

The young couple got the idea to take photos with Haibo after seeing the harmonious interaction between him and the elderly couple. After all, a dizzy seal isn't as attractive as one that is alert and lively.

Chen Ying certainly wouldn't agree. You can borrow a spot to take pictures, but don't expect wild animals to cooperate with you for photoshoots.

After settling Little Cub, Chen Ying took out the documents and began organizing and drafting a paper.

The artificial breeding of the Iberian lynx has made significant progress, but the current challenge is stuck at the stage of reintroducing them into the wild.

Unlike the Eurasian lynx, which has a broad activity area at present, there is no exchange corridor between the two major communities of the Iberian lynx, and their range continues to shrink under the influence of human activities.

Although strict protection measures have been introduced, and natural reserves have been designated, in such environments abroad, the rights of wild animals can't be strictly protected.

Compared to domestic occurrences, poaching incidents abroad are drastic.

Two years ago when collecting biological samples and observational data, a multiple participant poaching incident happened locally, but unfortunately, it couldn't be prosecuted due to insufficient evidence.

However, it's not to say there hasn't been any progress in protection.

Twenty years ago, the Iberian lynx was reduced to a critically endangered state with only 94 adult individuals, just 27 of which were capable of reproduction.

Owing to the unremitting efforts of local governments and international conservation organizations over twenty years, this population has recovered to exceed two thousand individuals as of last year's latest data, and its status has been downgraded from endangered to vulnerable.

The team led by Chen Ying's mentor was in charge of the breeding and reintroduction program which progressed smoothly. They handled the reintroduction in some mountainous areas of Portugal, and it appears from current observations that the released lynxes have settled locally and undergone two rounds of natural reproduction.

Just as the rough draft of the paper was finished, a call came through from Kelas.

His main work this year is to develop a new round of reintroduction programs based on the progress of the "LIFE Project."

The primary purpose of this project is to restore Mediterranean scrub habitats and build ecological corridors linking the original natural areas of the Iberian lynx destroyed by human activities, so that regions fragmented by roads, railways, and other infrastructure can be reconnected.

Additionally, the two neighboring countries where these lynxes reside have jointly established a cross-border protection zone and initiated a reintroduction plan in the Alana Mountains last year.

Chen Ying's original plan was to visit the Pyrenees after completing the paper draft to observe the living conditions of the reintroduced Iberian lynx first-hand.

However, it seems this plan needs to be slightly postponed, at least until he ensures that Little Cub can survive successfully before he can depart.

After noting down the tasks to be handled and marking them according to urgency, Chen Ying prepared to turn off the lights and rest.

Two female seals with three seal pups rested near the cabin; when Haibo didn't venture out, he would sleep in the pool at home.

The elderly couple next door talked with Chen Ying in the evening about wanting to connect the gardens of the two households and cover two-thirds of the garden with sea sand, focusing on the area around the pool to create a comfortable sleeping environment for the seals.

The old gentleman also suggested retaining the waterbed previously built for Haibo and constructing a gentle slope on the opposite pool wall to facilitate small naps for the seals while playing with water.

Chen Ying accepted the old gentleman's suggestion; the detailed tasks could be completed by the old man and the village workers, and Chen Ying only needed to pay and perform inspections.

The next morning, after getting up for some activity, Chen Ying went for a jog along the beach and took the opportunity to observe the state of the ringed seals on the coast.

This isn't a popular destination, so few tourists specifically come to see the seals. After all, there are more ringed seals near the Arctic Circle, and the tourism spots and projects there are more complete.

The lack of crowds has its perks; everyone meets each other frequently throughout the year and becomes quite familiar with each other's faces.

As Chen Ying passed by neighbors' houses, he would stop for a few words, taking the chance to learn about their observations of the seals.

This small village, located in the west, connects several coastal small towns via a highway, which is favored by road trip enthusiasts, but because the village doesn't have unique tourist resources, few tourists stop here, allowing local residents' lives to remain undisturbed frequently.

But today, unexpectedly, several cars were parked outside the village chief's house, and there seemed to be a commotion.