Airbin searches for the trail of blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)
HOHHOT, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Airbin, 68, a man of Mongolian ethnic group, has been providing water for blue sheep living in the valley of the Arbas Mountain for ten years.
He first got to know the wild animal in 2010, when he as a photography enthusiast followed the trail of blue sheep and found that the mother sheep don't have enough milk to feed their babies due to lack of water.
As from then, Airbin himself carried barrels of water to the top of the mountain every two days and climbed down along the 100-meter-high steep cliff to drop the water into a stone groove at the valley bottom to feed the blue sheep. Therefore the locals call him "father of blue sheep" for his kindness.
In 2012, Airbin brought a 100-meter-long rubber water pipe himself and put it on the top of the mountain, so that the water can be poured through the pipeline all the way to the stone groove.
In his care, the number of blue sheep here increases from four or five to 17 or 18 nowadays.
A blue sheep stands on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
Airbin searches for the trail of blue sheep in a cave of Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
Airbin takes photos of a blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
Airbin arranges the stone water groove for blue sheep in the valley of Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)
Airbin transports water for blue sheep by rubber water pipe on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
Airbin searches for blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
Airbin carries water for blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)
Airbin and his wife browse photos of blue sheep at home in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, June 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)
Airbin browses photos of blue sheep at home in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, June 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)
Airbin arranges the rubber water pipe for blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)
Airbin takes photos of flowers in the valley of Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
Airbin takes photos of blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)
Airbin searches for the trail of blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
Airbin searches for blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
Airbin gathers ropes on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
Airbin arranges the rubber water pipe for blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
Undated file photo taken by Airbin shows a blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Xinhua)
Airbin shows a photo of blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain taken by himself in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, June 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
A blue sheep runs on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
Airbin drinks water on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)
Airbin searches for the trail of blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
Airbin searches for blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)
Undated file photo taken by Airbin shows a blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Xinhua)
Airbin searches for blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)
Airbin prepares to take photos of blue sheep on the Arbas Mountain in Otog Qi of Erdos, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)■
