800公里跨省追踪，只为一只“迷路”豆雁

What drove a 57-year-old Chinese man to travel 800 kilometers across provinces by car? The answer lies in a migratory bird.

是什么，让57岁中国男子驱车800公里跨省追踪？答案藏在一只候鸟身上。

Zhou Ziran, honored as Hunan’s Most Beautiful Volunteer, has devoted himself to the migration and protection of migratory birds for over a decade. Recently, he took an 800-kilometer road trip from Changsha to Nanyi Lake in Xuancheng, Anhui, to track down a bean goose named "Azhi" that had altered its migration route.

湖南省最美志愿者周自然持续关注并致力于候鸟迁徙与保护十余年，近日他为追寻一只改变迁徙路线的豆雁“阿芷”，从长沙驱车800公里前往安徽宣城南漪湖。

Since March 2025, Zhou has continuously monitored "Azhi" and another bean goose named "Alan" (with whom contact was later lost) via trackers. As a national second-class protected species, bean geese typically migrate south to winter at Dongting Lake. However, location data from December 2025 showed that "Azhi" had diverted its course and remained at Nanyi Lake instead. Anxious for the bird’s safety, Zhou drove to Anhui, observed and photographed the bird from a distance by the lakeside, and finally confirmed "Azhi’s" whereabouts through its neck collar.

自2025年3月起，周自然通过定位器持续跟踪“阿芷”与另一只豆雁 “阿兰”（后失联）。作为国家二级保护动物的豆雁，按惯例应南迁洞庭湖越冬，但其2025年12月的定位显示改道停留南漪湖。放心不下的周自然驱车赴皖，在湖畔远距离拍摄观察，最终通过颈部项圈确认了“阿芷”的踪迹。

With over ten years of experience in migratory bird conservation, Zhou always upholds the conservation philosophy of "no chasing, no crowding, no disturbing" and has promoted the installation of conservation notice boards in multiple regions.

深耕候鸟保护十余年的周自然，始终践行“不追逐、不围观、不打扰”的保护理念，推动多地设立保护提示碑。

To this day, "Azhi" continues to overwinter at Nanyi Lake. Zhou stated that he will keep tracking its signal, and accompany this special "friend" through the winter with his silent guardianship.

如今，“阿芷”仍在南漪湖越冬，周自然表示会持续追踪其信号，用无声的守护陪伴这只特殊的“朋友”度过寒冬。