Zhuo Qiang established the Mara Conservation Fund to protect lions and other wild animals in Maasai Mara, enjoying the sense of fulfillment from helping the big cats in the Kenyan reserve's savannah.

But Zhuo, the only person from China with a mission of this kind in Africa, admits he was overwhelmed by a sense of loneliness.

"Distrust, doubt and scrutiny were initially some of the most common reactions to my efforts," he said. "Many still thought that Chinese were more likely to eat and kill wild animals than protect them, especially in remote Africa," he said.