In the spring of 2002, Deng and a reserve patroller ventured high into the mountains to photograph giant pandas during their mating season.

The first wild giant panda spotted after the catastrophic 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. [Courtesy of Deng Jianxin]

"If you want to get good pictures, you have to go to the much higher altitude mountain areas," Deng said.

Trekking into very heavy snow, the duo was unable to use the tent they brought with them, so they camped for five days in a nearby cave. Early each morning, they went out to search for traces of the pandas, such as stools and their bite marks on half-eaten bamboo stalks. Although they had many visual encounters with the bears, they often went back to the cave in the evenings without a decent shot.

"It was easy to encounter a wild panda at that area, but not easy to capture a good picture of them," he said.

After 14 years working in the reserve, Deng said he is upset by current surge of tourism in the area.

"The reserve is more of a scientific research platform rather than a tourism haven," he said. With the large increase of tourists, wild animals that inhabit the area will be greatly affected."

Deng stressed that he understood the urgent need of the local population to alleviate poverty, but hoped people could see the long-term benefits of preserving the reserve's natural habitat.

"Short-term profits for tourism will cause irreversible results," he said. "However, if people can be more far-sighted and protect the reserve from too much human intrusion, we can preserve our country's natural wealth forever."