DADDY SWAN (CHINA)

The willpower of a few can change the lives of many

An episode from the series EXTRAORDINARY ASIANS

Synopsis

When migratory swans visited his hometown, Yuan Xue-Shun, a child peasant at the time, had his first glimpse of beauty. Now 52, he has pledged his life and savings to the rescue of these beautiful birds, the latest victims of the country’s worsening ecosystem.

With the founding of the Whooper Swan Protection Association, Yuan turned his home into a makeshift clinic for injured birds. Every winter, when more than a thousand swans come to his town, Yuan swings into action to ensure the safety and well-being of the fast-diminishing flock.

Yuan's story is a metaphor for the fight for the environment against economic development at all costs.