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Between the lush and magnificent green mountains and green waters in the Yuncheng area of Shanxi Province, a quiet and elegant pastoral picture is displayed, which is refreshing and pleasant. Uncle Lu is an elderly farmer in this rural style, who has lived in this land full of vitality since he was a child, so that he knows every inch of mountains and rivers, every grass and tree here.
Uncle Lu was a hard-working, simple, kind and benevolent old man, and every morning, he would lead his flock to the mountains early to look for food. Before leaving, he would always call the big dog "Rhubarb", who had been with him for many years.
For the lonely Uncle Lu, rhubarb has undoubtedly become his closest companion, just like his children.
However, on that ordinary morning, Uncle Lu led the sheep up the mountain as usual, and when he admired the cheerful running figure of rhubarb in the distance, suddenly, the barking of rhubarb broke the silence.
At first, Uncle Lu thought that the poultry raised by nearby villagers had been lost. However, when he looked closely, he realized that this strange bird was significantly different from ordinary domestic geese.
Most of its plumage is grayish-brown, with only a small portion pure white, its beak and feet are not the yellow of domestic geese, and it does not have the bulge on the top of its head.
Facing this strange big bird, Uncle Lu's heart was full of doubts. He cautiously approached, trying to make a detailed observation, however, the large bird showed strong resistance and hostility, which made him a little frightened.
As an experienced farmer, Uncle Lu knows that these large birds are extremely aggressive, and when they feel threatened, they will attack mercilessly.
Just when Uncle Lu was in a predicament, he unexpectedly found that the wings of the big bird were covered with blood, some of which had dried up and scabbed, and some of which were still flowing slowly. Apparently, the large bird was badly injured and could not fly freely, only by spreading its wings to show its strength and intimidate the enemy.
Uncle Lu felt a deep sympathy in his heart, and he couldn't bear to watch this poor big bird bleed and be injured in the cold winter, fearing that it would freeze to death in the wilderness because of it.
So, Uncle Lu resolutely made a decision - to bring this big bird home to raise and take care of its injuries temporarily. Although it experienced a hard-fought battle in the process, and the tenacious bird even bit Uncle Lu's arm ruthlessly, in the end, it still obediently lay in Uncle Lu's warm arms and let him play with it.
It is worth mentioning that Pinglu County, Yuncheng City, where Uncle Lu lives, has been a necessary route for whooper swans to migrate since ancient times. Every autumn, thousands of whooper swans fly in from the far north to spend a cozy winter in this wetland.
The people of Pinglu County have paid great attention to these distinguished "guests", and have set up a special wetland reserve in the local area to ensure that they can live here with peace and happiness.
Uncle Lu respectfully brought this magical bird back to his warm home, and took care of its diet and daily life wholeheartedly. However, the unpretentious villagers have different opinions about the origin of this unusual strange bird, which really makes people wonder.
Some people boldly speculate that it may be a type of wild goose, while others say that its unique appearance is really difficult to identify specific species, and it is simply "four dislikes". Some people even suggested that its appearance was so different that it was very likely to be a precious national protected animal, so it was suggested that Uncle Lu must be cautious so as not to touch the legal red line.
In any case, this mysterious bird aroused the intense curiosity of the whole village. They flocked to Uncle Lu's house, scrambling to catch a glimpse of this strange bird. Some picked up their cameras to capture the moment, while others explored its origins and background with interest.
Regarding the identity of this big bird, everyone launched a heated debate, and the atmosphere reached a climax.
Faced with everyone's doubts, Uncle Lu was also in a predicament. As a native farmer, although his knowledge reserve is limited, he still has some basic legal knowledge.
He knew that if the big bird was really a rare animal protected by the state, as people said, then he should protect it dutifully and never engage in any illegal trade.
As expected, it didn't take long for a cunning person to drive a car to Uncle Lu's doorstep and try to buy the big bird at a high price. When he heard the sky-high price offered by the other party, Uncle Lu couldn't help but be stunned, and his heart was full of confusion.
However, after a short period of thought, he realized that if the big bird was indeed a protected wild and rare species, then it was absolutely not permissible to divulge information or trade it publicly.
After careful consideration, Uncle Lu resolutely refused the other party's request, and then immediately closed the door of his house to prevent further harassment.
As the buzz continued to escalate, photos and videos of the big bird quickly went viral on the internet. Uncle Lu saw all kinds of speculations about the identity of the big bird on the Internet, and he felt more and more anxious in his heart.
He couldn't help but wonder what kind of species this huge bird belonged to, and whether it was on the list of key protected wild animals in the mainland? So, he quickly took a clear photo of this big bird and sent it to Aiko who was far away, hoping that with his help, he could find an authority in the professional field and finally unravel this mystery.
Uncle Lu's expectations were not disappointed. The next morning, his son had already found out the true identity of the big bird, and the mystery that had plagued him for many days was revealed.
The son patiently and meticulously explained to his father the distinguishing features of whooper swans. The adult whooper swan has white feathers, but the immature whooper swan in front of him has a slightly peculiar gray-brown feathers.
As a typical migratory bird, whooper swans embark on a long migratory journey at the end of September, passing through Pinglu and other areas in Shanxi. These places are the migration routes and main habitats of whooper swans.
Hearing this information, Uncle Lu couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. It dawned on him that what he had rescued was such a precious and strictly protected national wild animal! Fortunately, he resolutely rejected the request of the unscrupulous buyer, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable if he violated the laws of the country.
It turned out that this whooper swan was unfortunately injured and bleeding during the autumn migration, so he was lost in the vast wilderness and was accidentally taken in by Uncle Lu at home. Now that its origins have been thoroughly ascertained, the next step is to return it to its habitat safe and sound to reunite with other members of its kind.
Thinking of this, Uncle Lu seemed to have relieved the burden in his heart. He deeply reflected on his past behavior, and was glad that he did not listen to the temptation of others, and always firmly protected the whooper swan.
Although they have only been together for more than ten days, Uncle Lu has already cherished it as his own flesh and blood.
Two days later, one morning, Uncle Lu took the mysterious whooper swan in his arms and set out on his way to the Pinglu Wetland Reserve. The moment he pushed open the door, he was amazed by what he saw—the once tranquil wetlands seemed to be rejuvenated, and the staff were busy everywhere, and many photojournalists were focusing on him.
The incomparably warm scene in front of him undoubtedly brought a trace of nervousness and timidity to this rare swan, and it was restless in Uncle Lu's arms, as if it felt extremely uncomfortable with such a noisy environment.
The staff in charge of this operation was worried that such stimuli might affect the regular habits of the whooper swans, so Uncle Lu decisively used a red ribbon to tie it so that it could be easily found and confirmed when it was released into the wild.
Before the release activity, the professional staff of the Forestry Bureau patiently and meticulously introduced the various living habits and suitable living environment of whooper swans to Uncle Lu in detail.
They told him that whooper swans are one of the world's most highest-flying birds, embarking on a long-distance migration journey of thousands of kilometers every year.
After listening to these detailed information, Uncle Lu was deeply shocked. He earnestly admonished the whooper swan, hoping that it would always be vigilant and cautious to avoid another unwarranted disaster.
Although he has only been with this whooper swan for a few days, Uncle Lu has cherished and cared for it as if he was his own family, and now when he was about to leave, the corners of his eyes couldn't help but burst into tears.
Uncle Lu carefully put the whooper swan into the clear lake water, and with a gentle push, the whooper swam excitedly into the distance. Soon after, the other whooper swans seemed to recognize it and let out a high-pitched call to welcome the "lost" companion back home.
Witnessing their harmonious coexistence and swimming freely, Uncle Lu's heart was finally relieved and let go of the heavy stone in his heart.