The photo was taken at noon on May 24th. Just as it was following its owner, an acquaintance rode by on a bicycle and stopped to shake hands with Zhang Xingmin, which made the little one very unhappy, so it raised its head and stretched its neck to call out. It kept staring until Zhang Xingmin's companion had walked far away. This photo was taken by reporter Guo Ling from Yaxin News.
At noon on May 24th, the reporter came to Zhang Xingmin's home, where Zhang Xingmin had just returned from outside. The bubble was very happy, slowly following behind. When Zhang Xingmin walked fast, it would run a few steps. This photo was also taken by reporter Guo Ling from Yaxin News.
On May 24th at noon, the reporter came to Zhang Xingmin's house, where the bubble followed Zhang Xingmin's gestures and danced gracefully. This photo was also taken by reporter Guo Ling from Yaxin News.
According to Yaxin News (reporter Guo Ling, correspondent Zhu Chengliang), "Sit down, go back to the house, dance, sing and dance..." As long as the owner Zhang Xingmin gives a command, this crane named Bubble can understand and follow accordingly. On May 24th, the reporter met this special crane in Chabuchar County, Ili Prefecture, Xinjiang.
Zhang Xingmin is 37 years old and lives in the county of Chabuchar. At noon on May 24th, when the reporter arrived at his house, Zhang Xingmin had just returned from outside. In the yard, a crane about 70 centimeters tall ran towards him upon seeing him. Wherever Zhang Xingmin went, it followed closely behind.
Zhang Xingmin named this crane Bubble. Bubble has red glasses, and whenever there are other people around, it cautiously stares at them. It has a gray feather coat, a tuft of white hair on its head, and black wing edges. Bubble is relatively slim and elegant.
Four years ago in winter, while driving back from Yining City to Chabuchar County, Zhang Xingmin encountered Bubble shivering in the snow on the roadside. "It was only 20 centimeters long then, still covered in fluff, with injured wings and legs," Zhang Xingmin said, adding that Bubble was very afraid of people, so he directly picked it up and brought it into the car.
After returning home, with Zhang Xingmin's careful care, Bubble quickly recovered from its injuries and became good friends with Zhang Xingmin.
Nowadays, apart from Zhang Xingmin, Bubble doesn't acknowledge anyone else. On May 24th, as it was following Zhang Xingmin along the road at the entrance of their home, an acquaintance rode by on a bicycle and stopped to greet Zhang Xingmin, which upset the little one greatly. Seeing this, Bubble raised its head, stretched its neck, and called out loudly. "That's how it is; if someone else gets too close when it's with me, it becomes very unhappy and calls out loudly," Zhang Xingmin smiled and said, "Bubble is quite jealous."
"This guy is very smart; when my son isn't at home, it pays attention to me, but as soon as my son returns, no one else matters to it," said Zhang Xingmin's mother, Wang Yuhua. Every day, Bubble eats corn, cabbage, and small fish.
As they were chatting, Zhang Xingmin squatted down, saying, "Come, let's dance." While speaking, he drew circles with his hand. Upon seeing this, Bubble immediately spread its wings and began hopping and spinning in circles. When it got excited, it would stretch its neck and call out several times. "This little guy is very smart," Zhang Xingmin said. Sometimes, when teaching both his pet dog and Bubble something simultaneously, such as spinning in circles, the dog hasn't learned it yet, but Bubble already understands it well.
Wang Xia, who works nearby Zhang Xingmin's home, said that one winter she saw Zhang Xingmin sweeping snow on the side of the road, with Bubble following behind. Zhang Xingmin shouted, "It's cold outside, go inside quickly." Upon hearing this, Bubble ran into the house, and after a while, it peeked out through the door crack to check on Zhang Xingmin.
Zhang Xingmin said that initially, he planned to release Bubble once its injuries healed. However, gradually, he began worrying that Bubble might be too dependent on him and wouldn't be able to leave. Last year, staff members from the Ili Prefecture Wildlife Protection Station and the Chabuchar County Forestry Police Station visited Zhang Xingmin's home to see Bubble. Initially, they also intended to take Bubble away, but after understanding that Bubble was too dependent on Zhang Xingmin, they abandoned the idea, fearing that Bubble might not adapt to the new environment.
The reporter contacted Director Hao from the Animal Management Office of the Tianshan Wildlife Park in Xinjiang regarding Bubble's situation. He identified it as a Demoiselle Crane. He introduced that the Demoiselle Crane, also known as the Lady Crane, is widely distributed in Xinjiang, leaving traces wherever there are wetlands. The Demoiselle Crane is a second-class protected animal under national law and is the smallest species among the world's 15 existing types of cranes. An adult Demoiselle Crane stands approximately 98 centimeters tall, with a very slender body, measuring around 76 centimeters in length.
Welcome to post comments. I want to comment. Weibo recommendation | Today's Weibo hot topics (Editor: SN026)