All-female ranger team in China's northernmost national park

At a gentle slope sweeping down to the forest of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, a handful of female wildlife rangers waded knee-deep through snowbanks, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow.

Braving freezing mountain winds, they moved slowly. Sweat dripped down their foreheads, although the temperature was freezing, at around — 20 C.

"We can't take a long break, or our body temperature will quickly fall," says Xu Chunmei, a member of the ranger team, leaning on a stout trunk.

After a breather, they struggled back into the forest to carry out their mission of protecting the forest and at-risk wildlife.

The team of female rangers, a relative rarity in the sector, is responsible for patrolling more than 23,000 hectares of the national park, home to some 50 Amur tigers, one of the world's most endangered species, with a wild population of some 500 cats.

To protect the big cats and restore the ecosystem, China has established the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park over an area of over 14,000 square kilometers, and spanning Northeast China's border provinces of Jilin and Heilongjiang.

Over the last decade, China has designated five national parks, aiming to build the world's largest national park system by 2035, to help protect the country's wildlife.

The team of six got its start in 2019, under the authority of the forestry and grassland bureau of the city Dongning, in Heilongjiang province.

Along their 6.5-km patrol route through the forest, the team will search for, and remove, animal traps, and rescue wildlife they come across that may be in difficulty. They are under the real threat of not only the frigid winter and heavy snow, but also the local wildlife.

"One summer day, we were patrolling along a ravine and encountered a hornet's nest. All of a sudden, countless hornets rushed at me. The sting hurt terribly," recalls team member Zhang Xin.

"Besides routine patrolling, they excel in data-gathering and are the best data collectors," says Li Gang, deputy head of the local forestry station. "Their meticulous work is really impressive."

Along the way, the female rangers grapple with all kinds of threats to the wildlife and forest and conduct wildlife monitoring, forest fire prevention and publicity.

"Many of us came from a long line of forestry workers, our parents and grandparents built their careers deep in the forest," says Xu, a 33-year-old mother of a boy.

"We grew up here, witnessing our families' hunting and deforestation. We know that we have a responsibility to take on the role of forest guardian."

The contrast between the elder generation and themselves has made all of the team members feel proud, and they say they will pass down the spirit of wildlife protection.

"I often tell my story to my boy, and he really likes it," says Xu.

"The awareness of wildlife protection seems to be taking root in the younger generation of foresters."