Special report: 2008 Olympic Games

    JILIN, Northeast China, July 15(Xinhua) --- Ren Jianguo, known as the first man to protect wild birds for local Songhua River, said that the Beijing Olympics makes a call for human being and nature's harmonious co-existence when he finished the torch relay in Jilin City on Tuesday.

    Green Olympics is one of the three themes of the 2008 Beijing Games, advocating the protection of environment, resource, eubiosis and communicating the green ideas by taking full advantage of the Olympics.

    That's just what Ren thinks and does, a zoophilist and a torchbearer of the Beijing Olympic torch relay for the Jilin leg.

    "The Beijing National Stadium, serving as the main venue for the 2008 Olympics, is widely known as the Bird Nest," said Ren who has fed the birds and built them nests for 11 years.

    At the time when he was a ferryman, Ren felt his heart broken as he saw two young guys broke a widgeon's neck. He decided to quit his job and to specialize in protecting wild birds.

    "Many people thought I was either idiotic or freaky because I spent all my time and money in looking after birds. I was very hurt at the time," Ren said.

    But Ren's persevering dedication has been winning understanding and approbation, and more and more people started to join his team to take care of wild birds.

    The number of widgeons in Songhua River twining through Jilin City, which became the Promised Land of wild birds, has increased to 8,000 from dozens.

    "I'm so proud of being a torchbearer. The Beijing Olympic Games that advocates Green Olympics makes a call for the harmonious co-existence between human being and nature," Ren said, "I will encourage myself with the Olympic spirits to build better homes for wild birds."