ByXiaYuanyuan
WhenZhuoQiangannouncedtohisfamilythathewasquittinghiscushyjobatagovernmentdepartmentandwasrelocatingtoKenyawithoutanyemploymentofferinhand,theythoughthehadgonemad.
“Sincegraduatingfromuniversityin1996,Ihadbeenworkinginagovernmentdepartmentin[southwestChina’s]ChongqingMunicipality.Itwasastablejobandallowedmetogoabroadseveraltimesonofficialbusiness,”the43-year-oldexplained.Suchjobsarecalledthe“ironricebowl”inChina,knownfortheirreliabilityasameansoflivelihood.Andyettherehewas,readytothrowawayallthatsecurityandcareerprospectonthebasisofjustonetripin2005whichlefthimsmitten.
Thatfatefulyear,ZhuotraveledonofficialbusinesstoKenya,hisfirsttriptoAfrica.HisdestinationwastheMaasaiMaraNationalReserveandthefirstglimpseremainsindeliblyetchedinhismemory.“Thegrassyplainstretchedonboundlesslyandtheskywasapurebluedottedwithwhiteclouds,”hedescribedthefirstencounter.“Andatnight,itturnedstarrywitharadiantmoon.Icouldhearlionsroaringinthedistance.Ialsocaughtglimpsesofotheranimalssuchaselephants,rhinos,leopardsandcheetahsprowlinginthesavanna.”
Ittouchedachordinhisheartthathadbeentheresincehischildhood-afascinationwithlions.“Asachild,IhadwatchedananimatedfilmcalledKimbatheWhiteLion,”Zhuosaid.“Besideslions,itfamiliarizedmewiththeAfricanprairie.”Fromthattime,hebegantolikelionsandyearnedtogotoAfricaandmeetthemajesticanimalsthere.
Dreamrealized
In2011,finally,hedecidedtotakethebullbythehornsandresignedfromhisjobdespiteobjectionsfromhisfamily.ThenhewasofftoKenya,allagogforanewwayoflife.
However,thingsdidnotgothewayhehadimagined.WhenZhuoarrivedinNairobiandbegantoapproachwildlifeprotectionorganizationsforajob,noonewasreadytohirehim.HefoundithardtobeacceptedbytheEuropeanandAmericanwildlifeprotectionorganizationsactiveinKenya.“TheyhadthisstereotypedconceptofChineseaspeoplewhoweremercenaryandreadytokillwildanimals,”hesaid.Theydidn’tbelieveZhuohadcometoAfricawiththeaimofprotectingwildlife.Someoneevenaccusedhimofspyingforapoachinggroup.
Thoughfrustrated,Zhuodidnotgiveup.Hedecidedtogoitalone.Withhislimitedfunds,hesetupatentinthewildernessandbeganlivingthere,rightnexttothewildanimalshewantedtoprotect.Hefirstmadefriendswiththelocaltribeandconvincedthemofhissincerity.Thenhealsobegantoearnthetrustofthelocalgovernmentwithhisvigilstodeterpoachers.WithinayearofhisarrivalinKenya,hehadfoundedhisownwildlifeNGO,theMaraConservationFund,andestablishedhisownpatrol.TheteambeganworkingwithKenyangovernmentstaffinMaasaiMaratoprotectlionsandotherwildlifefrompoachers.
TheMaraConservationFund,thefirstnon-governmentalpublicwelfareorganizationinitiatedbyaChineseinKenya,ismainlystaffedbylocalsandreliesonZhuo’spersonalsavingsaswellasdonations.ThefundalsodonatesequipmenttotheMaasaiMaraNationalReserve,includingvehiclesandtents.
Currently,ithasestablishedpartnershipswiththeKenyaWildlifeService,EastAfricanWildlifeSocietyandsomeorganizationsworkingtoprotecttheelephant.
Today,ZhuohasanewnameinKenya.HeisaffectionatelycalledSimbabythelocals.Simbameans“lion”intheSwahililanguage.
“Wildlifeprotectionismymission,”Zhuosaid.“SinceChinahasthelargestpopulationintheworld,wehavetheresponsibilitytocontributemoretoprotectthisworld.Also,Africaisthecradleofhumanbeings.SoitistheresponsibilityofallhumanbeingstoprotecttheenvironmentandwildlifeinAfrica.”
Futurechampions
Besidestheunpaid,dailypatrols,Zhuohasanothermission-toeducatetheincreasingnumberofChinesetouriststoAfricaaswellastheChinesebackhome.HeorganizesChinesevolunteerstocometoKenyaandworkonconservationprojectseachyear.Whentheygoback,theysharetheirexperienceswithotherChineseandthat’showwildlifeandenvironmentalawarenessgrows.
Zhuolikestoconcentrateonschoolchildrenbecausehesaystheschool-agegenerationisthefuturewildlifeprotector.Also,theyhaveinfluenceovertheirparents’generation,whichhasthefinancialabilityandinclinationtobuyivoryorrhinohornproducts.
“YoungChinesepeoplearemuchbettereducatednowadaysandunderstandtheurgencyofprotectingwildlife,regardlessofwheretheyare,”Zhuosaid.“Buttheylackthemeansofgainingrelevantknowledge.”
Toaddressthat,inJuly2015,theMaraConservationFund,incooperationwithKidsBang,aChineseeducationalplatformtofosterglobalcivicawarenessinchildren,startedLionDefenders,aprogramtomakeChinesechildrenexperienceoutdoorlifeinAfrica.TheparticipantsexperiencethedailyworkandlifeinawildlifeconservationparkinAfrica.
“Childrenshouldlearnhowtosurviveinthewilderness.Theyshouldalsobeeducatedtobecomeglobalcitizenswhohavecivicawarenessandasenseofresponsibilitytoprotecttheglobaleco-systemandendangeredwildanimals,”Zhuosaid.
HuangGuoguo,anine-year-old,isfromthefirstbatchofLionDefenders.ShelivedontheMaasaiMaraReserveforninedays.“IwanttotellalltheanimalsinMaasaiMarathatIwillalwaysstayconcernedaboutyou,”shesaid.“Ihavepaintedalotofpostcardswithmyfriendsforarummagesale.AllthemoneyfromthesalewillbedonatedtoprotectanimalsinAfrica.”CA
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Lifestyle
ChinaChipsIn
»Inrecentyears,theChineseGovernmenthasbeefedupsupportforwildlifeconservationinAfrica.
»In2014,Chinaprovided$515,000tolaunchaninitiativeinKenyaforconservingwildlife.WhenChinesePremierLiKeqiangvisitedAfricain2014,hepledged$10millionforwildlifepreservation.Lialsopromotedjointresearchtofightdesertificationandmodernizeagriculture.
»InJuly2015,Chinasuppliedequipmentworth$1.7milliontoBotswanaforwildlifeprotection.
»TheJohannesburgActionPlan(2016-18)issuedattheForumonChina-AfricaCooperationSummitin2015takescooperationinwildlifeprotectionfurther.ItsaysChinaandAfricawilljointlyfightillegaltradeinwildfaunaandfloraproducts.
ZhuoQiangshowsaphotoheshotinthesavannatostudentsinMaasaiMaraReserveinMarch2015