A deadly pursuit

Lightning strikes make collecting a parasitic fungus prized in traditional Chinese medicine a risky occupation.

In the remote Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, a rare fungus grows inside dead caterpillars. In traditional Chinese medicine, this parasitic fungus is prized for its purported medicinal effects . Known as Ophiocordyceps sinensis – colloquially, caterpillar fungus or “Himalayan gold”–it can fetch astronomical prices on the herbal medicine market: up to $63,000 per pound .