In the early hours of May 26, torrential rain sent river levels surging, submerging farmer Huang Shengli's duck sheds and sweeping away about 20,000 ducks. Huang had raised more than 30,000 ducks, with sales contracts already signed and the birds due to go to market within five or six days.

The business is the primary source of income for the 55-year-old and his family in Wuhan, Hubei province. Huang anxiously recalled the helplessness he felt during the flood while continuing the search for his missing ducks.

"The flood came rolling down in massive surges. I tried to save my ducks but ended up trapped in the raging waters," Huang said. He was pulled to safety by firefighters and local police officers who arrived just in time.

READ MORE: Heavy rains drench southern China

After taking stock, Huang found that only about 10,000 ducks remained on his farm.

"More than 20,000 ducks were washed away. At a market price of 35 yuan ($4.88) per duck, I've suffered losses of more than 700,000 yuan," he said. "The current was far too strong for me to herd them back. I could only stand by and watch them being carried away."

Huang is a third-generation duck farmer. The ducklings are fed formulated feed in greenhouses for 30 to 40 days before being released outdoors to forage for rice grains and river snails, allowing them to build up strength through natural exercise.

Unlike caged ducks raised solely on commercial feed, Huang's free-range ducks develop firmer meat and higher nutritional value through constant outdoor activity, enabling them to sell for 3 to 5 yuan more per bird than their factory-farmed counterparts.

On May 27, a resident filming along the river spotted thousands of ducks drifting downstream in the churning water. After the video was posted online, it quickly attracted widespread attention. In the following days, members of the public, river patrol teams, police officers and firefighters joined forces to help Huang recover his ducks.

Thanks to persistent searches and passers-by rescuing stray ducks along the river, more than 2,000 ducks have been recovered so far, helping Huang recoup an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 yuan in losses.

"Everyone who passed by stopped to lend a hand. Around 20 to 30 people have helped me along the way. Without them, I wouldn't have recovered even these 2,000 ducks," Huang said.

He has also received a steady stream of phone calls about his missing ducks.

"Some people tipped me off about where the ducks might be. Others told me to take good care of myself and suggested ways to search for them. Several netizens even drew route maps for me and edited videos tracking the ducks' movements online," he said. "I cherish every act of kindness from these generous people and have been deeply touched by their compassion."

Qian Zhengyi, deputy secretary-general of the Changjiang Conservation Foundation, said that more than 23,000 fishery patrol officers across the Yangtze River basin had joined the search. While carrying out routine conservation patrols for the Yangtze finless porpoise, personnel in the provinces of Anhui, Jiangxi and Jiangsu have also been keeping watch for the drifting duck flocks.

On June 2, staff members from the water affairs bureau of Jiang'an district in Wuhan, together with volunteers, spotted about 200 to 300 ducks beside a pond beneath a bridge during a patrol along the Zhujia River.

At about 9:40 am on June 5, Li Bangwen, a Yangtze River patrol officer from Wangjiang county in Anqing, Anhui, and his colleagues spotted a large flock of ducks while patrolling by boat near the Yangwan River estuary.

They estimated the flock numbered about 2,000.

"I knew instantly these weren't wild ducks. Wild ducks never gather in such huge numbers," Li said.

He added that the swift summer currents kept the flock constantly on the move and that the ducks could drift farther downstream at any time. However, patrol personnel lack specialized vessels and professional equipment to capture them.

The Fuhuan River flows through Suizhou, Xiaogan and Wuhan in Hubei before joining the Yangtze as a tributary.

The Yangwan River estuary is about 420 kilometers downstream from where the Fuhuan meets the Yangtze in Wuhan.

After viewing photos of the flock, Huang confirmed that they were his missing ducks.

"All my ducks are egg-laying females. There's no mistake," he said.

ALSO READ: China renews blue alerts for rainstorms, gales

The torrential rain pushed water levels in the Fuhuan River to 2.2 meters above the flood warning line. Many poultry farmers in the flood-hit areas also saw their livestock swept away by surging waters, causing heavy financial losses for rural households.

"These ducks were nearly ready for market and were about to start laying eggs, with abundant nutrients stored in their bodies. They can survive in the wild by feeding on aquatic plants and grains. If people don't catch them along the way, they could even drift all the way to the sea," he said.

Nevertheless, Huang believes the chances of recovering the remaining ducks are slim. Many have been taken in by villagers living along the river, while others have been caught by anglers, making them extremely difficult to retrieve.

Huang said he plans to strengthen flood prevention facilities around his duck sheds.

Contact the writers at chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn