Life and Death Fight. Shot by Bao Yongqing

　　Ge Wenrong

　　The heat of the topic of Life and Death Fight shot by eco-photographer Bao Yongqing seems to be gradually fading away with time passing by. But the story behind the photo is like a jar of wine getting better with age.

　　Face cruelty directly

　　Bao Yongqing's Life and Death Fight, won the highest honor in the 2019 Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

　　Behind the photo is a family of Tibetan foxes that Bao Yongqing is familiar with. He observed them for a long time, so that every time he got there, the family of Tibetan foxes went out of the hole and cheered on the grassland, seeming to welcome the arrival of their old friend.

　　On this day, three innocent Tibetan fox cubs played without any worry on the grassland, while the Tibetan fox mother came back and forward on the grassland wearily. A Tibetan fox mother took the most laborious work, namely feeding these three children whose appetite was increasing by the day.

　　Tiredness was etched on the Tibetan fox mother by Bao Yongqing through the lens of a telescope. Therefore, he predicted that the Tibetan fox mother would risk catching the marmot. More than the prairie dog, catching a fat marmot can give the children a good feed or make their mother have two days off.

　　According to this line of thought, Bao Yongqing paid his attention to the area around the Tibetan fox lair, and soon found a nest of marmots about 1km away. Then he only waited quietly. For this moment, he had been waiting for two months.

　　With quiet grassland and very clear and melodious occasional two or three bird calls, Bao Yongqing explored the grassland with a telescope over and over again. A few hours later, the grassland was still so quiet, and the dew and moisture of the grassland slowly seeped into his thick clothes, making him uncomfortable.

　　Just when he thought that he would gain nothing for this day, he saw an exciting scene in the telescope. He didn't know when the Tibetan fox mother had been lurking in the grass, watching the marmot cave intently, and quietly approached it a little bit more.

　　"It appears promising!" Bao Yongqing was thrilled. But in the process of quick power on, adjustment of parameters, and focusing, he heard the marmot's harsh warning sound.

　　"It's hopeless!" Bao Yongqing was instantly discouraged. The alert marmot discovered the Tibetan fox lurking in the grass. Once they become frightened and hide in the cave, it will take a long time to come out again. Bao Yongqing had to stop fiddling with the camera and faced down to keep observing.

　　But the Tibetan fox didn't give up this opportunity without a struggle. It stopped moving and hid its body deeply in the grass. It seemed that it was going to be a long wait again. Bao Yongqing had to relax himself, changed his body gesture, and kept observing.

　　The Tibetan fox lurked for more than an hour motionlessly, which undoubtedly tested Bao Yongqing's endurance. He turned over carefully onto his cold belly, and then gently stretched his stiff legs and feet, with just agonizing and waiting.

　　Finally, the marmot family stealthily came out again. He saw that the marmot cub rose up, looked around for a while, and then bent down and began to chew the dewy grass after confirming that there was no danger.

　　The young marmot without realizing the danger, was gradually far away from the cave and parents, while the Tibetan fox moved toward it silently. Bao Yongqing's heart was also gradually speeding up. He quietly put down the telescope, quickly turned it on and focused, until the two animals were in the same frame.

　　When the Tibetan fox was only a few meters away from the marmot, Bao Yongqing pre-pressed the shutter halfway and held his breath. Suddenly, the Tibetan fox, who had held itself for a long time, jumped up and launched an attack. The camera shutter also crackled like a machine gun. This sound seemed to be a catharsis accumulated for a long time with ease and verve.

　　After all, the young marmot is not the opponent of the old Tibetan fox. After a few rounds, he suffered multiple injuries and his movements gradually slowed down.

　　When the Tibetan fox was sure to win, the marmot's parents who hurried in also joined the fighting. The Tibetan fox ran back and forth in the siege of three marmots. Finally, it bit the little marmot in the neck and quickly escaped from the battlefield, leaving behind the heart-wrenching wailing of the marmot's parents...

　　Inside battle

　　Until this moment, Bao Yongqing stopped the intensive shooting, put down the camera, turned over and lay flat on the grassland and finally heaved a sigh of relief. Witnessing the thrilling life and death fight, there was an overwhelming force in his heart, as if he had also experienced life and death in this battle.

　　An intense anxiety took hold of him, and he was all about the big mouth of the Tibetan fox, the heartrending cry and frightened eyes of the little marmot and the struggle of the marmot's parents.

　　"If only they just launched a fierce battle and then left without injuries."

　　"When the Tibetan fox had the last bite, if only I hollered."

　　"But if so, what would happen to the three little starving Tibetan foxes?"

　　…

　　In such complex emotions, he returned home mistily and had no appetite when looking at the food on the table. He didn't want to look back at those photos in the next three months. Except for the award-winning photo, he has never shown the other photos of the day until today, especially the bloody pictures.

　　After the news of the photo winning was released, he was worried and entangled. "If some netizens accused me of not saving the little marmot at that time, how should I explain it?" "Will I be accused like Kevin Carter, the filmmaker of The Starving Sudan?"

　　Sir Michael Dixon, former director of the Natural History Museum, commented: "This fascinating photo captures the ultimate challenge of nature: Fighting for Life." But Bao Yongqing showed a bitter smile as he faced the media. He showed the amazing moments to the world, and kept the pain of creation to himself to forget slowly.

　　Every time the camera lens is put up, a kind soul collides with another soul with strong creation impulse. When shooting wild animals, the photographer must accept and face everything in the lens calmly, including the cruelty of survival of the fittest in nature and the ruthlessness of survival of the fittest in natural selection. This is a compulsory course for an eco-photographer. In addition to enjoying the sense of achievement brought about by works, the photographer has to adapt to the discomfort brought about by cruel and bloody scenes.

　　Bao Yongqing is often unable to eat for a few days uncomfortable, but he knows more that slaughter occurs on the grassland every day and there is no need for human mawkish interference in the dynamic harmony of nature.

　　He said that the law of the jungle is the rules of animals' survival and his goal is to truly reflect the survival of wild animals. Each species has its own way of survival, so any human disturbance will result in unpredictable results. He cherishes the reality of wild animals in front of the camera, so he digs into the living rules and habits of animals and minimizes interference with them. This is the most basic professional quality of eco-photographers. "No matter how advanced digital technology is, disturbing wild animals is unacceptable."