For the last ten years, Silva Gu has devoted his heart and soul to protecting China’s rare songbirds. He’s constantly fighting to get them rescued so they can survive. His journey started at a young age, igniting a lifelong love for wildlife. This drive has resulted in him personally rescuing 20,000 birds and forcing many poachers to close up shop. Operating largely on his own initiative and funding, Gu has become a prominent figure in the fight against illegal trapping, particularly in the grasslands outside Beijing.
Silva Gu, now in his 30s, is financing his mission with his own savings. His dedication shines through when he remembers the many evenings he missed in his quest to save entangled songbirds. He has faced numerous challenges, including violent physical altercations with poachers. Nevertheless, he is still intent on doing all that he can to save these fragile animals from extinction.
In one notable incident, Gu chased a poacher through the grassland, demonstrating his willingness to confront those who threaten wildlife. In a surprise turn of events the poacher knelt down and asked for forgiveness. He alleged that he had done no more than briefly enter the fields to look for birds. Gu prevented the poacher from fleeing until police could arrive. It was his determination that laid bare the confusing dynamic of human relationships born from this extraordinary fight.
“I want to protect them on this Earth controlled by humans,” – Silva Gu
Through activism and advocacy over the years, Silva Gu has taken important collective steps toward changing the climate of cooperation with the police. At first, it had been an uphill battle convincing police in Beijing to even recognize wildlife crime as an important issue. A change in mindset from decision-makers has resulted in more proactive efforts to combat these offences. Gu’s remarkable success achievements in his war on poachers have resulted in significant wins. This demonstrates just how important collaboration is between activists and police.
Yet for all these victories, Gu is quick to say he still feels alone in that fight. He desires friendship and shared power with other changemakers. “Sometimes, I am so tired. I want to find someone, maybe a group of people and we could combine our strength – but right now there is no-one,” he lamented.
Gu’s path started with reluctance. He remembers feeling lost and scared as a rookie. His excitement for birds was enough to push him through these anxieties. “At the beginning I had no experience and at that time I was quite afraid,” he said. “But if you really want to do something, those fears will all be forgotten.”
His work serves not just as a personal mission, but as a serious, full-time project that he is convinced the world needs. “I made it a project because if you want to solve this big problem, you must devote yourself wholeheartedly. You can’t do it part-time,” Gu emphasized.
To fund all that he does, Gu is constantly on the move to raise money. These initiatives significantly offset his operational costs, over 100,000 yuan (more than $14,000) annually. These funds allow him to persist with his work in spite of the great financial stress that any such intensive commitment imposes.
Gu is optimistic about the long-term, basing his hopes on what he describes as “a generational change.” He hopes increasing numbers of Chinese youth will come to value their country’s rare songbirds. That unprecedented awareness might just be enough to tilt the public sentiment against illegal trapping.
“This is my ideal. If you have this ideal, you must persist. You can’t not.” – Silva Gu
As Silva Gu pushes forward with his mission to educate through the arts and fulfill his dreams, he is an inspiring model of dedication and strength. His story is just one example of the challenges faced by these elusive, beautiful little songbirds. The documentary touches upon the broader fight for wildlife conservation within China’s borders. The challenges are still quite daunting, but his life’s work has done much to bring attention to the need to protect these irreplaceable species.