Swan caretaker at Sanmenxia lake: the man behind the water angel

Most people in Sanmenxia can't wait to capture a photo of the angelic white swans that arrive in the area each winter. To 54-year-old Pan however, they are much more than just a photo-op.

Thousands of white swans fly to Sanmenxia city to escape the cold weather as winter emerges. Walking along the dam in Swan Lake Wetland Park, people can see hordes of white swans flying and foraging on the one-kilometer wide lake. Other migratory birds, like the common pochard and Eurasian coot, can also be found among the flocks, thanks to caretakers like Pan.

Pan brings corn from the storehouse to the feeding sites every day in Sanmenxia Swan Lake Wetland National Park. Every year he prepares sufficient food for the swans before the bitter cold and heavy snows arrive. [Photo by Sun Meng/ismx.cn]

Pan has been working as a caretaker for four years. He and five other workers walk six kilometers and feed the swans at ten different sites twice a day. Thousands of jin (two jin make one kilo) of corn are required every day. [Photo by Sun Meng/ismx.cn]