Guillermo Memuco Munro, a Mexican environment artist, said his experience in China was among the most exciting ones that he would like to come back one day. Zhang Yuchen / China Daily

When a series of auctions and live paintings took place in Beijing hutongs, the community in the traditional Chinese neighborhood grew familiar with the personified animals drawn by a Mexican artist.

Small scales of paintings of smiling or tearing creatures in the local cultural hubs saw Guillermo Memuco Munro finishing his mission as a "wildlife warrior" in China.

The environmental artist used the relatively bold colors and identical icons in paintings, illustrations and graphics to arouse more awareness of recognizing and rescuing endangered animals under the waters, in the sky as well as on the earth in the past three years.

"People always know animals are endangered, but they don't know how they are endangered, why they are endangered, and how human beings can help," said the artist, "usually not all the information is available, either in China or in Mexico."

Memuco cooperated with international non-profit organizations protecting endangered wildlife and environment in China. Working with UNICEF and WWF (World Wildlife Fund) China was among the most exciting environmentally conscious program experiences. The cooperation with WWF led to the creation of three graphics, including one that reveals South China tigers on the brink of extinction. The works have been published on the organization's website.

"They (people) want to learn but also they want to change the things," said Memuco. "It is also a learning process for myself."

Some of the endangered animals in China among thousands species have been seen in Memuco paintings, such as Chinese salamander, giant pandas and snow leopards — all the animals accompanying a Mexican lady portrayed on the Day of the Dead, a traditional Mexican celebration that pays homage to the dead.

"The problem is not the people but the quantity (of the poaching activities) that matters more than anything else. As China has a larger population, the impact on the environment is more obvious than any other cultures," said the 43-year-old artist.

When the past three or four years saw the tens of thousands of African elephants slaughtered simply because of the ivory consumption in Asia, Chinese basketball player Yao Ming and other prominent Chinese citizens aligned with IFAW to urge people to stop purchasing ivory products in China.

And change always happens. Memuco said by taking part in some live painting events in Beijing and Shanghai he got the sense the community shares the same interest and even the enthusiasm in environmental protection.

Children participating and helping on the spot with large-size murals on the grey walls of hutongs in the downtown, obviously fans of animals, associating them with cartoon characters while the young and the old show a fondness for the flourishing colorfulness decorating their apartment buildings.

Memuco participated in the community activity himself to persuade people to stop the killing of sharks for their fins. He designed traditional Chinese New Year decorating commodities, using the cartoon image of sharks with Chinese characters to advocate an end to eating shark fins.

"You can try to change people's mindset but it is hard to change the habit or traditions lasting for hundreds of years," Memuco said. "So starting with kids is usually a good idea."

Starting his environmental art journey about 13 years ago, Memuco took his environmental cause to Seattle, Chicago, Dubai and Beijing. Now he is heading back home.

"Every city and every country teaches you something and teaches you to be humble and not to judge any more," said Memuco.

He said China left a unique mark on his art, including a profound change in his drawings, not only from the inspirational characteristics of traditional Chinese paper cutting, but also the dancing-like Chinese characters.

zhangyuchen@chinadaily.com.cn