As temperature warms up, snow melts on both sides of the Bulgen River, and Mengxin beavers that lay dormant in cave for a winter wake up and go out to forage. In recent days, a rare scene of six Mengxin beavers foraging together by the banks of the Bulgen River was captured by the video system installed by the Administration of the Xinjiang Bulgen River Beaver National Nature Reserve. (Reporter: Cao Hua / Shiliuyun - Xinjiang Daily)

The video clip shows five Mengxin beavers eat willow twigs by the river at first, then another one swims over from near to join them. They attentively eat the barks of willow twigs, then look for new twigs after finishing the first batch. They gnaw to snap and then pull twigs underwater and keep chewing. Six beavers act without interrupting each other, which looks very peaceful.

According to the staff of the Administration of the Xinjiang Bulgen River Beaver National Nature Reserve, every year when the weather warms up in March, the frozen Bulgen River starts melting, and Mengxin beavers, who inhabit by the river, come out of their caves at night to forage, because their weak bodies need a lot of food after lying dormant over the winter. The video system installed in the Reserve often captures the activities of Mengxin beavers, but usually of one or two, occasionally three or four together. Six Mengxi beavers appearing simultaneously in one image is extremely rare. As they get along well, they are likely a family.

It is learned that in recent years, the Administration of the Xinjiang Bulgen River Beaver National Nature Reserve has been increasing efforts in the ecological construction of the reserve by carrying out measures such as ecological relocation of herdsmen and enclosure to core areas, and has improved the habitat environment of Mengxin beavers, achieving the steady increase of their number from 32 families with 132 members in 2014 to 38 families with 162 members at present.