Chen Jianxing works for Tanzania National Parks. The job enables him to watch lions freely. Photos provided by Chen Jianxing

Elephant poaching is rampant in Africa due to the increasing demand from the global market. The national parks need money to hire more rangers and equip them against poachers, says Chen.

According to Chen, the Selous Game Reserve is three times larger than the Serengeti National Park. However, the former has only 300 rangers while the latter has already had more than 1,000.

Chen says many rangers in Tanzania want to learn Chinese martial arts, such as free combat, to fight poachers.

"I go back to China to raise money and work with Chinese NGOs to call for people not to buy tusks," adds Chen, who returned to China in early September.

Talking about his future plans, the passionate lion lover says he will continue watching lions, flying between China and Tanzania to promote animal protection for his second hometown.

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Photos: Living among lions(2)

Photos: Living among lions(1)