"I dismantle nets myself and dissuade other hunters from putting them up," he said.

Four other hunters have followed a similar path. Zheng now works in an office, but he still goes on occasional inspections to check on his "old friends" and takes young people on tours to raise their awareness about avian protection.

He is pleased the hunters have almost disappeared.

"Both people and birds are part of nature, and they should live in harmony with each other. I think all of society should take action," he said.