A golden retriever named Soybean fetches litter from the Jinjiang River at the Danxia Mountain Scenic Area in Shaoguan, Guangdong Province on February 27. Photo: Chinanews.com

Seven-year-old Soybean fetches a tree branch from the Jinjiang River at the Danxia Mountain Scenic Area in Shaoguan, Guangdong Province on February 27. Photo: Chinanews.com

 
A very fetching dog has been keeping a UNESCO world heritage site clean by retrieving trash from the water left by careless tourists.

Huangdou (or Soybean), the 7-year-old golden retriever, has diligently patrolled the banks of the area's Jinjiang River at the Danxia Mountain Scenic Area in Shaoguan, Guangdong Province and jumps in after the smallest bit of floating trash.

"A couple of years ago I noticed [Soybean] would check for garbage from the banks and fetch it out of the water," said its owner surnamed Ou, who lives along the Jinjiang River.

After years of cleaning up the river, Soybean has won praise online and from park management.

"Around here we call Soybean our 'environmental protection guard', " said Hong Jiagui, general manager at the scenic site. "Soybean is very smart and eventually hides the litter if tourists keep throwing it back in the water," added Hong.

Danxia Mountain, renowned for its breathtaking red sandstone cliffs, was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.

Source: Chinanews.com