[Year of the Monkey] The white-headed langur, an ascetic monk on the Rocky Mountain.

There is a huge Rocky Mountain in the far south. The mountains here are very steep. Although they are not towering into the sky, cliffs abound. The stones that make up this mountain have been eroded by rain all the year round, forming many caves. In caves, there are strange stalagmites or upside-down stalactites. In some caves, rainwater seeps down from cracks to form rivers. Rivers either pass through hundreds of miles of continuous caves or flow underground to form underground rivers. There is no sun and moon in the underground river all year round, and some unknown fish, shrimp and insects live here. Some are transparent, and some eyes gradually lose their function, and they can hardly see anything or light.

On such a magical rocky mountain, surface water is scarce. But the plants are still extremely lush. Cycas, the contemporary of dinosaurs, adapted to such dry and hot weather and grew everywhere in cliffs and sunny places. Their leaves are sharp and long. Like soft sword, they have been blooming once a year for many years. Cycas cycads are not alone, and the tropical symbolic plant Dracaena draconis also lives here. When the dragon blood tree is damaged, it will shed crimson mucus similar to plasma, which is considered to be dragon blood in legend, so it is named dragon blood tree. And the tall alder often goes through hundreds of years of wind and frost, forming a huge trunk that few people can't surround. The banyan tree stands alone in the valley, its aerial roots leak into the air like willows, while its tabular roots go deep into the ground, showing traces of time. Not only that, there are all kinds of orchids dotted in the jungle, or clustered in dark corners, or hung high on the trunk. Red kapok, warm Erythrina flowers, golden camellias, and dotted apples bloom in different seasons.

Why are there so few animals in such a world? Have you ever seen a gecko swallowing mosquitoes in the corner of the house? This is its relative, the gecko, which is bigger and more colorful. Remember the pangolin in the gourd doll? This used to be their paradise. There are all kinds of civet cats, deer muntjac, cats, such as leopard cats with brown spots, golden cats with golden bodies, and even legendary clouded leopards. Black bears haunt here, and cobras haunt here. And the primitive chicken, the ancestor of KFC chicken we have eaten, also lives here. Walking in the alleys of Shan Ye in the evening, you can hear their cries.

Such a world cannot be separated from our closest friend-the monkey. Groups of macaques, led by the Monkey King, shuttled between the Rocky Mountains and farmland, sometimes hiding in the mountains to eat young leaves and fruits, and sometimes rushing into farmland to steal corn and other crops. Bigger than them are bear monkeys, which are often difficult to see in groups of more than a dozen. The older one is a red-faced monkey with a short tail, but the longer the face, the redder it becomes, as if it were drunk. Their personalities are also infatuated, and they often compete for the throne. Other animals walk around when they see them.

(2) The legend of the white-headed langur

Among all the monkeys living here, the most unique one is an animal called the white-headed langur. It only lives in the Rocky Mountains here. Some studies believe that the ancestors of the white-headed langur appeared on the earth at least 30 million years ago. After a long time, only in the area of less than 200 square kilometers between Zuojiang and Mingjiang. Later, Luoyue people moved here to cultivate farmland and grow corn, rice, cassava and sugarcane. White-headed langurs have been watching the cliffs beside farmland for thousands of years. They are not close to humans and their similar species, but rely on natural disasters such as cliffs and cliffs, and they will never go far. So that no matter which village, there is a legend of the white-headed langur.

A long time ago, in a poor mountain village, villagers often endured hunger because they didn't have enough food. There, when the old man dies, people will bury him on the cliff. Mourners should wrap a white linen belt around their heads to show their condolences to the elderly. After a funeral, some children stayed in the bushes full of wild fruits, grew up, gave birth to children, and lived a happy life from generation to generation. After a long time, the white linen that was originally tied to the head turned into white hair, and the white sack at the waist turned into a white tail to show the memory of parents.

No one knows when and where such a legend originated. But such a legend tells the relationship between white-headed langurs and humans. White-headed langurs were once called rock cats or rock spider monkeys, saying that they are as flexible as cats and as stable as spiders between mountains and dangerous peaks. White-headed langurs are also called white apes, apes and good helpers. There is a poem by Cheng Pu in Song Dynasty: "Climbing a cliff is an ape", which means that apes are good at climbing cliffs and trees. So much for the white-headed langur. These names all show that the ancients were no strangers to the white-headed langur.

Anyone who has seen the white-headed langur is amazed that the white-headed langur dances well. Above the drop of more than ten meters, jump, firmly grasp the branches and swing easily. But they are also puzzled by their silence. In the early morning and evening, when the sun has just risen in the morning, or when the sunset has not completely ended, the white-headed langur sits alone or together on the top of the mountain and quietly watches where the sun comes from. They like the world of the Rocky Mountains, just like monks who practice hard in the mountains.

In the morning, ascetic monks drink rainwater accumulated in caves or dew on branches and leaves and feed on rich leaves. Unlike macaques, they don't rely on special cheek pouches under their cheeks to store food. Instead, they form a stomach cavity in the stomach, which can break down cellulose. Facing the leaves that seem difficult for us humans to swallow, this stomach cavity can digest them into the energy needed for exercise, and even they will lick some mineral salts to help decompose the bitterness and toxins in the leaves. They are not picky. When scientists began to observe, they thought they had chosen dozens of different foods. As a result, after decades of research, they found that their recipes were very extensive, and they used more than 150 food sources. They are the best collectors of this lush primeval forest in the Rocky Mountains.

(3) rediscovering the white-headed langur.

But it is less than a hundred years since human beings really realized its uniqueness. From 65438 to 0952, Tan Bangjie was the director of Beijing Zoo and an expert in caring for animals. He once led a team to Guangxi to inspect the animal resources in China. The first time I heard the news of "White Ape", the local name puzzled him. He thought it was a gibbon without a tail. Later, he heard that this "white ape" had a long tail. He speculated that it was albino, similar to the difference between the "white tiger" and the tiger we saw in the zoo. It was not until one day that he found an old langur skin in a small Chinese medicine shop in the suburbs of Nanning that he solved the mystery. According to the person in the pharmacy, this is the skin of the legendary "white ape", which was collected from Fusui to Longzhou in southern Guangxi. Mr. Tan Bangjie first met the white-headed langur.

At that time, the whole world knew that there was still a langur living in Guangxi. Langurs are very similar to white-headed langurs. The only difference is that langurs have white hairs on both sides of their cheeks, like two white beards. Mr. Tan Bangjie observed that the fur in front of him was black and white. 1955, he called it "langur" in the article "Apes in China", which described it as follows: "It is milky white from head to throat, neck and shoulders, and there are also some white hands, feet, elbows and upper parts of inner legs. The upper two-fifths of the tail is black, the lower three-fifths is gray, and the rest of the body is white. General shape, posture, proportion of parts, etc. It is completely similar to the langur. "

Soon after, he finally saw the living body of the white-headed langur, 1957. When this discovery was submitted to scientists all over the world, the "white monkey" was not called the langur, nor was it named as the "Tan's langur", but was named the white-headed langur according to the most remarkable characteristics of nature. This feature, through the legend of the white-headed langur, is the witness of the ancients and the present.

So far, humans have found that langurs are not alone. There are about 17 species of similar animals, such as langurs, white-backed langurs, white-headed langurs, langurs, golden-headed langurs, etc., which are distributed in Java and some Indonesian islands, Vietnam and Thailand in Indochina Peninsula, and China and India. They are closely related, so scientists are still debating their differences and evolution. But animals are only limited by various rivers and oceans, looking for future life alone.

(D) Challenge the survival limit

May 20 13, in hot summer, the sun scorched the earth and the weather was extremely sultry. However, the sultry weather did not make our beautiful karst elf, the white-headed langur, depressed. On the contrary, the mother and son mountain monkeys are excited by the arrival of new members. About half a year after pregnancy, several little white-headed langurs came into this world one after another. One of the newborns was called "Little Pomegranate" by the staff in the reserve.

The little pomegranate is different from its parents. As a newborn, its whole body is golden yellow, sweeping away the black and white of its parents. This is a strange feature of the white-headed langur: in its infancy, it is extremely bright golden yellow, which is very eye-catching and can be recognized at a glance even if it is 100 meters away. According to the truth, the newborn baby is extremely fragile and can only threaten the natural enemies of the white-headed langur to become the most eyeing young individuals. This brightness is the biggest risk of exposure.

However, perhaps in the evolution of millions of years, the growth of parents is more important. Beautiful colors can make the whole family pay attention to these little things. Needless to say, the biological mother will hold the child tightly, dare not relax in the surrounding environment, and constantly search for even small movements and sounds around her. Other menstruation, will also look at the eyes from time to time, when something happens, will remind the eyes.

The most important thing is the father's attitude. White-headed langur is a unique polygamy. In a typical 8- 12 group, there are often wives but only one husband. The position of husband is often fiercely contested. The young adult male monkey defeated the old male monkey and became the new monkey king. He can have his own offspring, but at the same time he should be wary of the challenge from younger male monkeys. Then, the husband of Monkey King not only ensures his own food source, but also spends a lot of time on the treetops and hilltops every day. During the difficult intermission, giving birth to one's own offspring has become the most urgent thing. The result is often that several children have been born in succession over a period of time. Which child is more important? Children who can grow up are the most important. How can we see that it can grow best? Beautiful coat color can best reflect all this.

The newborn pomegranate is one of the most beautiful children. But mom is too young. Her enemies are not only natural enemies, but also hot weather. The young mother is enjoying her family happiness, but she holds the pomegranate too tightly and covers it in her arms, as if it were a pearl with the brightest eyes. She may fantasize that this healthy and beautiful little pomegranate will continue to change color in the future. A month later, the coat color on the body turned dark brown, and three months later, the coat color on the head began to turn dark brown. Until I agree with my parents. In another year, it will be able to act independently and know what to eat and what not to eat. Live a stable life for a few years. If you are a girl, you will continue to live with your parents. If you are a young man, you will enter a new world and have your own family like its father.

The weather is too hot, and Chongzuo in May will enter the hot season as soon as possible. These years are the hottest time, the rocky mountain is exposed to the hot sun, and the hot heat wave is rolling in. Although the mother can adapt, the little pomegranate is stuck under the small cotton-padded jacket formed by her mother's fur, and the temperature is too high. It needs wind as well as water. But mother left the group and no other monkeys could remind her. The little hand couldn't catch her mother any more, and the little head hung down feebly. The unsuspecting mother climbed the stone wall with a pomegranate in her arms and left. The pomegranate in her arms is so lovely: golden hair, small shape, and even the umbilical cord has not fallen off. Eyes closed, so serene, people have an illusion: it is asleep. ...

Four days later, my mother finally realized the tragedy. Throughout the day, the young mother sat quietly, staring absently at the same place, just like a sculpture: she didn't eat or drink, never leaving her feet, and didn't even notice the ashes falling on her body ... At night, the sad mother left the monkey group with a small pomegranate in her arms. She wants to put the pomegranate where we may never find it, and at the same time, she wants to say goodbye to the past. ...

(5) Protection of white-headed langur

It is a happy thing that the white-headed langur is known to the world, but it is also very sad. Since the 1980s, people in China have spent 40 years investigating and studying this animal. But there are so few such animals. The white-headed langur's living range is only 200 square kilometers. This kind of land also supports tens of thousands of people and is suitable for the survival of white-headed langurs. It is estimated that there is 1 12 square kilometers, but the actual living range of the white-headed langur is less limited by villages, roads and rivers.

Only about 600 white-headed langurs were found in two surveys in the 1980s and 1990s. Clever, you can calculate that white-headed langurs usually form a family group from 8 to 12, and how many families does 600 represent white-headed langurs? And a small human village is basically between 20- 100 households. The white-headed langur happens to be the human 1-3 base village unit!

White-headed langurs are rare. When its uniqueness was discovered, the whole world began to protect it. It is listed as the highest level of protection, and it is a national first-class protected animal in China. In order to protect this species, China has established two related nature reserves-Chongzuo White-headed langur National Nature Reserve and Nong Gang National Nature Reserve.

However, there are too few. When the typhoon comes, it may have lost its brothers and sisters again. But why so little? Humans knew the white-headed langur at an early age, not only getting close to it, but also aiming the butcher knife at it. Since the Tang dynasty, the white-headed langur has been stripped of its flesh, leaving only its bones. Cook the bones and process them into wine, thinking that drinking can strengthen the body. With the development of medical treatment, these wines have long been proved to be superstitious, and drinking them is meaningless. Unfortunately, those dead white-headed langurs can never be resurrected.

In the past twenty years, human beings have invested a lot of energy to protect it. In order to reduce hunting and protect its living environment, the white-headed langur has recently grown to more than 1000, which has not exceeded the safe level. But can this prove that as long as human beings are willing to protect it, it can still survive on the earth? When you have a chance to go to Chongzuo, is it possible for you to meet them?