The number of ＂Snow Mountain Elves＂ Yunnan golden monkeys has increased. Why did the former hunters win the trust of the monkeys？

Yunnan golden monkey is a rare and endangered primate species endemic to China. As a first-class protected wild animal in China, Yunnan golden monkey is also listed as an endangered species in the IUCN Red List, and it is one of the flagship species in the field of wildlife protection in China and even in the world.

According to the latest data released by National Forestry and Grassland Administration today (10th), the population of Yunnan golden monkey has increased to 3,845. Next, let’s get to know these cute little furry guys through a set of numbers.

Up to now, the population of Yunnan golden monkey has increased to 23.

Yunnan golden monkey is only distributed in the alpine mountain of Yunling Mountain at the junction of Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet provinces in China, which is more than 3000 meters above sea level. It is one of the highest primates except human beings in the world. The population of Yunnan golden monkey has increased from about 1000-1500 in 13 groups in 1996 to 3845 in 23 groups now.

Among them, there are 3 populations of Mangkang tablets in the northern part of Yunling, with 450-650 individuals, and the median (which is the value in the middle of the interval number and a convenient generalized expression value for the range data) is 550 individuals, accounting for 14.3% of the population.

There are 6 populations in the south section of Yunlin Mountain, with 730-850 individuals, with a median of 790 individuals, accounting for 20.55% of the population.

There are 14 populations in Baima Snow Mountain area in the middle part of Yunling, with the number of 2180-2830, and the median is 2505, accounting for 65.15% of the population. Most of the Yunnan golden monkey population is distributed in Baima Snow Mountain.

Mao Wei, Deputy Director of Management and Protection Bureau of Yunnan Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve: In the past, the number of protected areas has grown from 500 at the beginning of its establishment to 2,700 today. In the past, there were 8 populations, and today there are 14 populations, which shows that our country has achieved tangible results in the construction of ecological civilization.

The reporter visited the "Snow Mountain Spirit" Yunnan Golden Monkey on the spot.

You may have a question, where did the name of Yunnan golden monkey come from? Indeed, from the outside, it is called "Golden Monkey", which actually has no golden hair, and its fur is mainly gray-black and white, so it also has a scientific name called black-and-white snub-nosed monkey.

The reporter takes you into Baima Snow Mountain, the largest Yunnan Golden Monkey National Nature Reserve, and visits this group of "Snow Mountain Elves" on the spot.

Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve is located in the middle section of Hengduan Mountain, where hundreds of wild animals live. Among them, Yunnan golden monkey is the most eye-catching one in the world. The place visited by reporters on the spot is Weixixiang Guqing area of Baima Snow Mountain, where the monkeys are most concentrated at present.

CCTV reporter Jiang Shulin: In fact, along the mountain road, we didn’t walk for long, so we met a group of monkeys by chance. Look, everyone, this is our Yunnan golden monkey, so we see a red line next to it. Because there are a lot of staff in the reserve for field observation and field scientific research, so in order to ensure such safety, we drew such a red line. We saw at the scene that this group of monkeys should be 7 to 8 such groups, which is almost close to us.

In the early morning mist, monkeys, big and small, are jumping and playing in the Woods, except for a strong male monkey, who is looking around warily and making a "squeaky" cry from time to time. Lai Jiandong, the stationmaster of the wildlife rescue station in the reserve who accompanied us, said that this male monkey just broke into this population the day before and was preparing to form a new family.

Yunnan Golden Silk can be regarded as a national treasure as well as a giant panda, and it is also the mascot of Kunming World Expo. There are two reasons for this.

Let’s talk about the appearance first: Yunnan golden monkey has a face that is very human: the scarlet lips with red and thick flesh in the face protein are unforgettable, and it is also the only primate with red mouth besides human beings; Look at the size of this monkey: chubby and round, fluffy and fluffy, and stupid and stupid.

Huang Zhixun, a volunteer in Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve: It’s really like an elf in the mountain, with a red mouth and big eyes. The redder the monkey’s lips, the healthier it is. So it is also a way to judge the health of monkeys.

Needless to say, Yunnan golden monkey is also one of the few animals that have smiling muscles and can "smile", so it is loved by experts and patrolmen. In their eyes, monkeys are like their own family members, so they are carefully observed: the life span of Yunnan golden monkeys is generally 20 years old, reaching the peak of fertility at the age of 8, and the "polygamy" system is strictly implemented. The duty of the "Monkey King" is not only to mate, but also to stand guard and guard his own territory. Yunnan golden monkey is used to sleeping in the cold unlined upper garment forest, hugging his head and sleeping. Even when sleeping, the mother monkey will hold her child tightly in her arms.

From hunter to monkey keeper, he is happy when he sees monkeys.

After reading the reporter’s visit, do you think Yunnan golden monkey is very close to people? But for a long time before, this group of snow mountain elves were far away from people, from far to near. What happened behind the change?

Next, we look for the answer from the story that Yu Jianhua, a hunter in Baima Snow Mountain, turned into a monkey protector.

The 69-year-old man whose face is tanned and happy to see the monkeys is Yu Jianhua.

As a monkey keeper, Lao Yu used to be a famous "hunter" in the village, making a living by hunting and growing crops. Although he was born in a "hunter family", Lao Yu never hunted monkeys. In the cultural inheritance of Lisu people, generations know that monkeys are the ancestors of human beings. However, because there are hunters, shotguns and hunting dogs, Yunnan golden monkeys are afraid of people, and their survival instinct makes them choose to hide in high-altitude mountainous areas. Food is scarce and the environment is bad, resulting in a precarious population, with only more than 500 at least.

Yu Jianhua, the monkey guard: They are afraid of people and dogs, just on the top of the mountain. People can’t reach high altitude and everything is difficult.

Reporter: There is nothing to eat.

Yu Jianhua, the monkey guard: Yes, there is nothing to eat.

In winter and spring in mountainous areas with high altitude, monkeys often suffer and starve, and Lao Yu looks at it in his eyes and hurts in his heart. The turning point took place in 1998, when the state started six ecological projects, including natural forest protection and wildlife protection. In Xiangguqing, a Lisu village, the most important policies are to stop logging, put down shotguns and prohibit poaching. The government and the reserve encourage hunters to become rangers and subsidize 6 yuan every day.

Lao Yu, who had long planned to put down his shotgun and protect the monkeys, saw that the country and the reserve had such a good policy, and he took the lead in sending the shotgun to the police station first. In Lao Yu’s own words, he is "hunting for half his life and protecting for half his life".

Yu Jianhua, the monkey guard: Originally, I was a hunter, and I handed it over. They certainly did, and they were willing to.

Even if there were no shotguns and hounds around, when the monkeys first entered the mountain to guide them down, the sentries in the monkeys issued warning signals early when they saw people. A few months later, the "Monkey King" who had been observing for a long time among the monkeys began to approach tentatively, and then turned around and ran away. Lao Yu knows that this is the beginning of trust. At this time, the scientific research team in the reserve also found out the life law of the monkeys, especially found an irreplaceable food for monkeys-usnea.

Li Yanpeng, Scientific Research Director of Yunnan Golden Monkey Protection Project in Baima Snow Mountain: Usnea is a food that can be provided to it all year round. The monkey’s forestomach is mainly used for fermentation, and the hind appetite is used for energy absorption, so that the usnea is digested into energy and absorbed.

With careful care and delicious attraction, from testing to building trust, slowly, under the leadership of the "Monkey King", the monkeys began to migrate step by step from the mountains at an altitude of four or five kilometers to the village of Weixi Xiangguqing. Yunnan golden monkey population began to develop steadily day by day. It’s really good to see Lao Yu and a group of former hunters protecting the monkeys. The monkey protection team was formally established in the reserve, and Lao Yu was elected as the captain by everyone. Not talkative, he likes this job. He happily showed his WeChat to reporters. The name of WeChat is "Monkey King".