Before sunrise, Officer Li Minglin and his team at Zhanjiang Mangrove Police Station set out on a mission that’s equal parts CSI and Planet Earth. Their target? Illegal peanut worm hunters threatening one of China’s most vital ecosystems.
🔍 Acting on a tip, the officers intercepted fishermen digging up these mud-dwelling creatures in the Zhanjiang Mangrove National Nature Reserve – home to China’s largest natural mangrove forest. While peanut worms are considered a delicacy in Guangdong, they play a crucial role in mangrove health by recycling nutrients.
“It’s not just about catching lawbreakers,” Li explained. “We’re protecting an entire coastal ecosystem.” The team released confiscated worms back into the wild and held impromptu ‘eco-classes’ with the fishermen.
🌱 This isn’t isolated drama – mangroves prevent coastal erosion and store 4x more carbon than rainforests. Zhanjiang’s ‘green guardians’ show how grassroots enforcement can make waves for global conservation efforts.
