Infected by the lead goral's sudden burst of happiness, the other gorals followed its example and one after the other launched themselves across the precipice. Their vigorous game shrouded the steep hillside in a cloud of snow and mist. Watching from afar, the almost perpendicular snow slope on the mountain opposite looked like a white curtain that hung from the hillside. The Chinese goral herd looked like a set of black spinning tops that danced on the crystal white snow. They danced their high mountain elfin dance.
At that moment the vast and desolate mountain appeared filled with energy. It was full of the vibrancy that emanated from this happy animal herd. I think that this is the reason why there should be birds hovering in the sky, fish swimming in the river, animals running around in the forest and insects humming in the grass. If we lose these, nature will be dead.
I suddenly realised that maybe this Chinese goral dance was a kind of celebration giving way to their happiness at escaping danger. Or maybe it was a way of thanking us—a show that was put on especially for us.
When my father finished recounting Mr. Zhao's story, he sighed, saying: "I really envy him. He was lucky enough to see a myth. It was these big and small wonders that sustained him in his career …" At this point my father seemed to choke on his words. It was a long while before he said "But from then on, he never heard any tidings of Chinese gorals again …"
It so happened that on 7 December 1999 CCTV[2] Evening News broadcasted a news report: There had been discovered a wild Chinese goral population of about 140 in the Saihanwula conservation area in The Greater Khingan Mountains. Upon hearing this I hurriedly filmed the report and studied it over and over again. The Chinese goral in the photo appeared somewhat startled. It was captured mid-stride and seemed almost as if it was flying over the ground. This was the second time in my life that I saw a Chinese goral. Ever since I heard this story, the Chinese goral lay on my mind. At the same time, it has become my long-cherished wish to meet with Mr. Zhao.
Before this I discovered that wild animals such as the Kaluga sturgeon4, the hazel grouse5, the Laplang6, and others, are slaughtered and sold at markets and restaurants. I once consulted Mr. Zhao's work A Guide to the Birds of China, first volume. My father told me that Passeriformes are in the second volume that had not been published yet. At that I bought Leopold's A Sand County Almanac and asked my father to give it to Mr. Zhao, who I had never met. I first wanted to make a good impression on Mr. Zhao and only then pay him a visit. I wanted to ask him for more information regarding these species. Now that I had a video recording of "tidings of Chinese gorals" I was even happier because I was sure that Mr. Zhao would definitely be interested in watching it. I made a duplicate CD with the recording on, ready to give it to Mr. Zhao.
I wanted my father to give me Mr. Zhao's phone number so that we could agree on a time when I suddenly heard that Zhao ZhengJie had passed away. Last year there was a lot of snow. I heard that Mr. Zhao slipped and fell on the road and was unable to get up. I also heard that there were 1500 copies printed of A Guide to the Birds of China. Mr. Zhao took unsold copies back home and whenever someone sent in money to buy a copy, he would wrap it up and personally take it to the post office …
His son Zhao Bing told me: "These last few years father's health was very poor but despite his illness he kept working on his manuscript until the very end."
I would like to borrow a Native American Indian folk saying to conclude this story. According to my father, it is better than thousands of mediocre poems:
When the last tree has been cut down,
The last animal hunted down,
The last fish caught,
The last river poisoned,
Only then will we realize that one cannot eat money.
Notes:
1 Condor—first class national protected species, listed in the "China Red Data Book of Endangered Species"
2 Chinese goral—Scientific name Naemorhedus goral, first class protected species in the "International Convention on Endangered Animal and Plant Species"
3 Zhao Zhengjie's book Encyclopaedia of the Birds of China was published in 2001, two years after Mr. Zhao passed away. The following year it was awarded the National Book Award. It remains the only complete encyclopaedia of birds in China.
4 Kaluga sturgeon, also known as Huso sturgeon—inhabits one of nine Chinese sturgeon biogeographic sub-regions, listed in the "China Red Data Book of Endangered Species"
5 Hazel grouse—scientific name bonasa, first class national protected species
6 Lapland, scientific name Calcarius lapponicus, provincial protected species
Compiled on 30 February, 2000
