Hubei Shennongjia is located on the western border of Hubei Province, bordering Baokang County of Hubei Province to the east, Wushan County of Chongqing City to the west, Xingshan Badong to the south and the Three Gorges Fang County, Zhushan and Wudang.

In ancient times, the Shennongjia forest area was still a vast ocean. After the Yanshan and Himalayan movements, it gradually became a multi-level land, and formed strata with distinctive local characteristics such as the Shennongjia Group and the Mache Garden Group. Shennongjia is located on the second ladder of my country's terrain. On the eastern edge of the area, the eastern extension of the Daba Mountains forms a mid-alpine landform. The mountains in the area are tall and gradually decrease from southwest to northeast. The average altitude of Shennongjia is 1,700 meters.

Most of the peaks are above 1,500 meters, including 6 peaks above 3,000 meters above sea level, and more than 20 peaks above 2,500 meters above sea level. The highest peak, Shennongding, is 3,105.4 meters above sea level, making it the highest peak in central China. Shennongjia is therefore

It is known as the "Roof of Central China". The Shizhu River in the southwest is only 398 meters above sea level, the lowest point in the territory, with a relative height difference of 2708.2 meters. Shennongjia is the watershed of the Yangtze River and the Han River. There are Xiangxi River, Yandu River, Nanhe River and Du River in the territory.

river

4 river systems. Because this area is located in the mid-latitude north subtropical monsoon zone, the temperature is cooler and rainier. Every time the altitude rises by 100 meters, the seasons differ by 3-4 days. Due to the hot and humid southeast monsoon and the dry and cold continental high pressure all year round,

alternating influences, as well as the regulation of heat and precipitation by alpine forests, and the

It has a pleasant climate with neither extreme heat in summer nor severe cold in winter. While southern cities generally experience high temperatures in summer, Shennongjia is a cool world. Shennongjia is located in the mid-latitude north subtropical monsoon zone. Controlled by atmospheric circulation, the temperature is cooler and rainier, and

As the altitude increases, three climate zones are formed: low mountains, mid-mountains, and sub-alpine.

The annual precipitation is also distributed from low to high, which is 761.4

~2500 mm, so the three-dimensional climate is very obvious. "It's midsummer at the foot of the mountain and spring on the top of the mountain. It's brilliant autumn at the foothills and ice on the top of the mountain. You can't see enough red, orange, yellow and green. It's the most difficult to distinguish between spring, summer, autumn and winter." This is a true portrayal of the climate in the forest area. It has the northern hemisphere of the world today.

The only well-preserved sub-region in the mid-latitude interior

Tropical forest ecosystem. The forest coverage rate within the territory is 88%, and the protected area reaches 96%. It retains a large number of precious ancient relic plants such as Davidia involucrata, Liriodendron tulipifera, Lianxiang. Shennongjia has become a green treasure land at the same latitude in the world.

Forest ecology research has global significance

Yi. There are many magical geological wonders in Shennongjia. There is a tidal river in Honghua Township. The river surges three times a day. The tide rises once in the morning, noon and evening, each time lasting half an hour. When the tide rises, the color of the water varies with the season; during droughts

In the season of plum rain, the water color is turbid. In the season of plum rain, the water color is clear. In Songluo Township

There is an ice cave. As long as the natural temperature outside the cave is above 28 degrees Celsius, the cave begins to freeze. The water in the mountain crevices seeps along the cave wall to form a crystal clear ice curtain, which extends downward for more than 10 meters and drips in the cave.

The water at the bottom forms icicles of various shapes, with the top generally mushroom-shaped and hollow.

In late autumn, the ice begins to melt, and in winter, the temperature inside the cave is higher than the temperature outside. The unique geographical environment and three-dimensional microclimate make Shennongjia a transitional area for plant species in northern and southern China and a crossroads for many animals to thrive.

Shennongjia has more than 3,700 types of plants (more than 730 types of fungi, more than 190 types of lichens, more than 290 types of ferns, and gymnosperms).

There are more than 30 species, including more than 2,430 species of angiosperms, and more than 4,000 species including bryophytes), 40 species of which are under national key protection; there are more than 1,050 species of various animals (more than 70 species of mammals, more than 300 species of birds,

There are more than 20 kinds of amphibians, more than 40 kinds of reptiles, more than 40 kinds of fish, and more than 560 kinds of insects), 70 of which are under national key protection. Almost all

It covers all animal and plant species from Mohe in the north, to Xishuangbanna in the south, from central Japan in the east, and to the Himalayas in the west. Shennongjia is the only well-preserved oasis in inland China and the only green treasure land in the mid-latitudes of the world. It has

It is the only intact subtropical forest ecosystem in the mid-latitudes of the world today. It is the most distinctive monopoly of world-class tourism resources, flora and fauna.

The composition of the fauna is rich and colorful, ancient, unique and rare. The vigorous and tall firs, the simple and fragrant rock cypress, the graceful and luxurious cypress, the graceful involucrata, the unique hemlock, the branches

The lush leaves cover the sky and the sun; golden monkeys, white bears, Sumatran antelopes, giant salamanders, and white storks, white cranes, golden eagles and other animals and birds appear in the grass and soar in the forest. Everything is so harmonious and peaceful, free and peaceful.

There are also beautiful and ancient legends and simple and mysterious folk customs here. Man and nature together constitute the primitive ecological and cultural circle of the mountains in mainland China. The legend of Shennong tasting grass and collecting medicine, the mystery of the "savage", and the mythical epic of the Han nation

"The Legend of Darkness", the ancient salt road of Sichuan and Hubei, Tujia wedding customs, and the charm of the mountains and countryside are all fascinating and alluring. Red

Ping Gorge, Guanmen River Gorge, Jiadao River Gorge, and Yema River Gorge are majestic; Yinyu River, Yandu River, Xiangxi River, and Dajiu Lake are beautiful; Yanzi Cave where thousands of swallows live, hot and cold caves that are hot and cold in midsummer

The frozen ice cave, the tidal water cave with three tides a day, and the Qianyu Cave where fish come out from the thunder are amazing; the flowing springs, waterfalls, and the Buddha's light in the sea of ​​clouds are all great sights.

Shennongjia National Nature Reserve is located in the southwest of the Shennongjia Forest District in Hubei Province, with a total area of ​​70,467 hectares. It is divided into east and west parts. The east part is centered on Laojun Mountain and covers an area of ​​10,467 hectares. The west part is centered on Shennongjia and Shennongjia, covering an area of ​​60,000 hectares.

Shennongjia National Nature Reserve is rich in biological species. The forest coverage rate reaches 98%. There are evergreen broad-leaf forest, evergreen deciduous broad-leaf mixed forest, deciduous broad-leaf forest, coniferous broad-leaf mixed forest, coniferous forest, shrub

Various vegetation types such as clumps, arrow bamboos and alpine meadows are the epitome of the main vegetation types in Eurasia from subtropical to cold temperate zones. According to incomplete statistics

According to statistics, there are 3,216 species of higher vascular plants, 493 species of wild mammals, birds, fish and amphibians, and 4,143 species of insects in the reserve. Among them, 73 species of animals such as golden monkeys and golden eagles are listed as national key

List of protected animals. 259 species of wild animals protected by the state that are beneficial or have important economic or scientific research value.

Among the many wild and rare species, there is a small raptor, which is a type of bird. People call it the falcon. Although it is small in size, it is extremely ferocious and bursts into tears. It is often compared to some larger animals.

For food!

Having said so much, I actually want to tell you about the living environment of falcons, because this animal will be the introduction of this volume. Falcons belong to the Accipitridae family and are national key protected objects. Falcons eat meat and are at the top of the bird food chain.

The "Wildlife Protection Law" clearly stipulates that all types of eagles are national protected animals of Class II or above. Except for special circumstances, capturing, selling, purchasing, raising and harming are strictly prohibited. In order to hunt eagles and falcons, Yi even

Touching the red line of the law, the reporter discovered through investigation that there is a gray market behind the falcon theft. They are a group of people who spend money, energy and time to realize a heroic dream of "holding the yellow on the left and holding the blue on the right".

urban hawk player.

It is not easy to train a fully formed falcon. If nothing else, just boiling the falcon is enough. To boil the falcon is to make the falcon not eat or sleep for a long time, using only a tube

Fill it with the necessary water. Players have to stare at it for several days, because some eagles can sleep with one eye open and one eye closed secretly. When it wants to sleep, just shake it. This alone is not enough.

, you have to use the jargon saying "

"Down the axis" to make the eagle feel hungry as quickly as possible. That is, wrap the meat in hemp or hair and feed it to the eagle to eat, which will promote the continuous peristalsis of the stomach and make the eagle feel hungry. After more than ten hours, let the eagle eat the hemp.

The eagle spits out its feathers, which is also called "shafting". Over a few days, the eagle's energy is quickly consumed, and it gradually becomes less unruly than before. At this time, give it some more food.

, it starts to get close to people.

Some eagles can't handle this process, and some players who don't know much about it don't even give them water, causing some eagles to die of dehydration.

From capture, transportation, to domestication, every step is extremely harsh for falcons. People in the industry have made statistics. In addition to professional falconers, it takes one or two falcons to be tamed for hunting. During this process, a large number of falcons were either killed or injured.

Some players even have to kill about 10 falcons before they can train one. Then they accumulate experience from the dead and wounded falcons. In addition, domesticated falcons have lower resistance than wild falcons due to many reasons such as food intake control and restricted freedom. The strength will be significantly reduced, which will greatly increase the chance of domesticated falcons suffering from parasitic diseases and fungal diseases.

Shen You, director of the Sichuan Wildlife Conservation Association and chairman of the Chengdu Bird Watching Association, also had a similar view. He said that many captured falcons were forced to stand for long periods of time because they did not get enough exercise, and their soles were abraded and infected. "Footpad disease". Many eagles released into the wild have this disease, which is difficult to cure.

In the falcon hunting exchange group: "You can buy it for a few hundred yuan, and it is relatively easy to tame it." The player said that he had bought 4 eagles of different species, but all ended in failure. One of them was raised in the south. After a few months, he was very depressed. “I didn’t dare to take him to the hospital, so I released him.” From the perspective of falcon training and playing with hawks are two different things.

In our country, not all falconry is illegal. Among the Manchus, Kazakhs and other ethnic groups, falconry has been a way of life for thousands of years and has formed a traditional culture. In 2012, falconry with a history of thousands of years was The art of eagle taming is recognized by UNESCO as a "Living Heritage of Humanity".

In fact, falconry is still practical today. For example, some people have suggested that some private falconry experts be selected to drive birds away from some domestic air forces and civil airports to protect airport safety. But now, some falconers who have been continuing for generations have I began to worry that my skills would be lost.

In the eyes of professionals, a dedicated falconer and a family of falconers are completely different things. Take the Kazakh falconer reported by CCTV as an example. He captured two eagles in more than 20 years, one of which has been tamed and has accompanied him. Had him for 23 years.

Players in general cities are far from reaching this level. They start buying and raising eagles based on their enthusiasm and hobbies. If they fail, they leave them alone. "It is a completely unhealthy hobby."

A tamed falcon can be sold for $1 million. Back in the movie "No Man's Land", at the beginning of the film, the poacher played by Huang Bo used a bird as bait to catch a falcon. After that, he was very interested in catching a falcon. His policeman said that the falcon was caught for an Arab prince and could be sold for 1 million.

How can a falcon be sold for millions? Falcons are large birds of prey and are national second-level protected animals. They are distributed in China, Mongolia, India and other places. “In places such as Ganzi Aba in Sichuan Province, they are scattered. In winter, these hunting falcons are Falcons migrating south will pass over Chengdu.

The Falcon is not only the bird of prey with the most comprehensive flight speed and hunting skills, it is also easy to domesticate and is a good hunting tool. However, due to indiscriminate hunting and killing, the Falcon has been included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. , is an endangered species. In Middle Eastern countries, the falcon is a symbol of wealth, and a trained falcon can be sold for US$1 million.

The priceless quantity is small but the demand is high. So why does a seemingly ordinary eagle command such a sky-high price? According to data from Xinhua News Agency, from 1993 to 2001, Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan and other countries exported to the Middle East.

812 falcons were purchased, of which China only allowed the export of 180 falcons.

Sun Xin, director of the National Zoological Museum, said in an interview with the media: "In the international market, the legal trade volume of falcons is very small and far from meeting demand. Therefore, poaching and smuggling are serious."

According to data from the Sichuan Provincial Forest Police's "Operation Bright Sword", there have been about four or five similar cases investigated and dealt with in Sichuan in the past three years. However, it is not easy to investigate and deal with such cases, because the "Eagle Playing Tribe" now mostly communicates through the Internet.

Moreover, the group is small, so it is very difficult for both people and the stolen goods to be obtained.

According to Article 17 of the "Wild Animal Protection Law": "Those who domesticate and breed wild animals under special state protection must hold a license (referred to as the "Domestication and Breeding License")." The "Domestication and Breeding License" came into effect on April 1, 1991.

Measures for the Administration of Domestication and Breeding Licenses for Nationally Protected Wild Animals

, there are clear provisions for the application of the "License": (1) There are fixed places and necessary facilities suitable for domesticating and breeding wild animals; (2) There are funds, personnel and technology suitable for the types and quantities of domesticated and bred wild animals;

(3) The source of feed for domesticated and bred wild animals is guaranteed.

"Currently, apart from the zoo, no other institution or individual in Chengdu has applied for a "Domestication and Breeding License" for eagles." Staff from the Wilderness Division of the Chengdu Forestry Bureau said that for protection purposes, they do not support private domestication of eagles.

wild animals.

Use birds as bait, cast a net, crawl aside with a crossbow, and wait quietly for eagles, falcons and other raptors to take the bait... This is the poacher in the movie "No Man's Land" and also the real Yi. On the 11th, Sichuan Province

The High Court reported a typical case of endangering precious and endangered wild animals. In Ganzi, Sichuan

Prefecture, Yi carried crossbows, hooks, nets and other tools, and in just two days, he hunted 13 golden eagles and 1 hunting falcon in Shiqu, Dege, and Danba. During the transfer process, 4 were hunted

A golden eagle and a hunting falcon died. Yi illegally hunted national second-level protected animals and was eventually sentenced to 14 years in prison.

However, behind the falcons, there is a market that wanders in the gray area. What gave birth to this market is a group of urbanites who dream of "leaving the yellow on the left and holding the blue on the right". Reporters from West China Metropolis Daily have been investigating for days.

, the hawk-playing group in this city gradually surfaced.

On the 11th, the Sichuan Provincial High Court reported a typical case of harming precious and endangered wild animals. Yi carried a bird-catching crossbow, foot hook and other tools from Pujiang to Shiqu County to hunt wild animals. He successively went to Xiazha Township, Shiqu County,

Hunting golden eagles and falcons with tools in Qiwu Township, Zhuqing Township of Dege County and Shuizi Township of Danba County. Two days.

At that time, Yi hunted 13 golden eagles and 1 hunting falcon along the way. During the transportation process, 4 of the golden eagles and the hunting falcon died. After the case was prosecuted, the Danba County People's Court ruled that the case was illegally hunted.

, for the crime of killing precious and endangered wild animals, Yi was sentenced to 14 years in prison and fined 1,000 yuan.

However, the more things go like this, the more people are eager to hunt the falcon desperately, just because of its huge market value, and criminals will take desperate measures and not hesitate to test the law.

Baokang County, Hubei Province, is located east of Shennongjia. Although this county is not big, it is a turbulent city with a prosperous and prosperous city, with a developed economy and a variety of industries.

If someone wants to ask, why is there such a thing as a hidden dragon and a crouching tiger in a small county town? It is because there is a group of social groups here who specialize in hunting and killing rare species in Shennongjia. Over time, a huge organized criminal group has been formed.

Dong Xiangzhai, Daweizi Township, Baokang County, is a gathering place for the Dong minority. The Dong people regard the hunting falcon as a protective god. Other people worship gods in their homes, but the Dong people enshrine statues of hunting falcons in their homes.

Put them together with the statues of the gods and treat them equally.

During the Qin and Han Dynasties, there were many tribes living in Guangdong and Guangxi today, collectively called "Luoyue" (a branch of "Baiyue"). After the Wei and Jin Dynasties, these tribes were also generally called "Liao". Kuang Lu in the Ming Dynasty

According to "Chi Ya" written by the author, the Dong people are also part of the "Liao". The current distribution of the Dong people is adjacent to the residences of the Zhuang, Shui, Maonan and other ethnic groups who belong to the "Baiyue" system, and their languages ​​belong to the same family.

The customs and habits of the Zhuang Dong language group also have many similarities. The Dong people may have developed from a branch of the "Luo Yue". The Dong people went through the development stage of primitive society and directly transitioned from primitive society to feudal society in the Tang Dynasty; some people believe that
To be continued...