Searching The Kingdom Of Wild Lives

Searching The Kingdom Of Wild Lives

Although Yunnan takes only 4% of the land of China, it boasts 1638 

species of vertebrates making up 53% of the total in China, among which

 mammals amount to 296 species, 49.92% of the total; insects are over 

13,000 species, 52% of the total, and there are 250 species of beasts

 and 766 species of birds, accounting for 53% and 65% of the total 

respectively. There are 231 species of animals under state protection 

in Yunnan – the “Kingdom of Wild Lives”.

Peacock--the symbol of Yunnan

The south and southwest of Yunnan are the home peacocks, which belong 

to pheasant family, chicken order. With a crest on head and elegant 

feathers as the tail, the male peacock is brilliantly blue-green with 

purplish red reflections on the back. Peacocks often inhabit in the 

parkland of  less than 2000 meters above the sea level, or highland 

with bushes, groves of bamboo, coniferous and broad-leaf forests, 

especially the place where there are streams; peacocks feed on

 birchleaf pears, rice and corn, and also like to eat insects and

 frogs. Peacocks are symbols of luck, happiness and beauty for the

 Dai nationality, so Peacock Dance is the fovourate folk dance of 

 the Dai people. When celebrating the Water Splashing Festival or

 the harvest of crops, the Dai people will get together and perform

 the Peacock Dance to the rhythm of the gongs and drums, thus adding 

the beauty of intelligence to the peacock.

Snub-nosed monkey--the rare national treasure

The snub-nosed monkey is rare animal on earth and also a primate 

peculiar to China. Dwelling the dense forest, 3400 meters above the

 sea level, in Deqin, Lijiang and Weixi Counties which are in the 

northwest of Yunnan Province, the snub-nosed monkey is a monkey 

species, known so far, living at the highest altitude. With black-haired 

back and white-haired rump, belly and chest, an adult snub-nosed monkey

 is generally 20-30 kilogrammes in weight and 55-80 centimeters in 

length. It is a social animal with alert disposition. At present,

 the population of snub-nosed monkey in Yunnan is less than 1500,

 and it is the first- class state-protection animal.

Gibbon--the "acrobat"

The gibbon in the dense forest of Xishuangbanna of Yunnan Province is 

similar to man in body structure, physiological function and habits,

 and disposition. With a fine body shape and long arms the gibbon can 

move nimbly in trees as birds do, and it is renowned as the “acrobat” 

among animals. Besides, The gibbon is the animal of sensation; whenever

 there is injury, illness or death in the community, it will not sing 

or sport for quite a long time to express its sympathy and grief to 

its companions.

Leaf-capped monkey--a monkey with a hat on

The leaf-capped monkey is dark-faced and wears gray hairs except the

 black ends of the four limbs and the black end of the tail. The hairs 

on its head are light-colored and a bit long, which looks like a hat 

from the distance, hence the name. Living in trees of tropical and 

subtropical forests, the leaf-capped monkey, which can only be found

 in the southwest of Yunnan in China, is social and omnivorous animal

 and is under the first-class state protection. 

Slender Loris--"a lazy bone" among monkeys

The slender loris, the first-class state-protection animal, belongs to

 lorisid, primate order, and can be found in Southeast Yunnan and North

 Vietnam. The loris is about 32-37 centimeters in length with a round 

head, small ears and big, round eyes. With brown hairs on the back and 

sides and grayish white hairs in the belly, the loris has thick and 

short limbs with its tail hidden in thick hairs. Hiding by day and 

coming out at night, the loris acts slowly. Therefore, it has the 

reputation for its “laziness”, and is nicknamed as a lazy bone

 among animals.

Binturong--a leopard cat that can twine and grab things with 

its tail

The binturong, which is under the first-class state protection, is a

 kind of civet. It has a body-long tail that can twine and grab things, 

which is unique in animals of its kind. Living in trees of subtropical

 forests,  the binturong can be found in Yunnan Province and Guangxi

 Region.

Black-necked Crane--the elegant national treasure

The black-necked crane is tall and big with grayish white body and 

velvety black neck and head, thus the name. Inhabiting the Qinghai-Tibet 

Plateau, the black-necked crane is the only alpine species of cranes and

 is peculiar to China. Besides, it is also the latest that has been 

discovered among the 15 species of cranes on earth. Owing to its

 population of only over 5000, the black crane is included in CITES 

(the Convention On International Trade In Endangered Species Of Wild

 Fauna And Flora). The black-necked crane is a migratory bird. Every 

early October, it migrates from the cold Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to mild

 Yunnan at a lower altitude to survive the winter; according to 

statistics, the number of the black-necked crane living through the

 winter in Yunnan amounts to more than 2500; for its elegance and 

beauty, the black-necked crane is regarded as the symbol of beauty,

 luck and happiness. Dashanbao in Zhaotong Prefecture of Yunnan is

 a paradise for the Black-necked cranes; every winter thousands of 

black-necked cranes gather here presenting a beautiful view.

Lady Amherst’s Pheasant--the most popular pheasant for display

The Lady Amherst’s pheasant inhabits forests and bushes in the 

mountainous regions in Southwest China. It is a omnivorous bird and

 feeds on both plants and insects. In breeding season, the male Lady

 Amherst’s pheasant will take up an area and its cries will ring out 

continuously in the mountain forests. Since the 19th century, the Lady

 Amherst’s pheasant has been introduced for many times to Great 

Britain and some other countries, and now is the most popular pheasant

 for display in the world.

Wild Elephant Valley in Xishuangbanna--the best place to watch 

elephants in China 

The elephant is the biggest terrestrial animal in the world, and the 

only survived are two species, namely the African elephant and the 

Asian elephant. The wild Asian elephant can be found in the south of 

24.6º northlatitude in Xishuangbanna of Yunnan in China, and in some 

regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia. There being only several

 hundred in China, the wild Asian elephant is under the first-class 

state protection and is included in CITES; in recent years, more

 importance is paid to the protection of wild elephants.  Living in 

the Wild Elephant Valley in Sanchahe tropical rainforest of  Yunnan's 

 Xishuangbanna Prefeture are a considerable number of wild Asian 

 elephants, which can be seen from observation stands built in the

 giant Chinese Banyans; another observation station is in Mengyang 

Nature Reserve, Xishuangbanna.

An Impregnable Pass for Birds--the transfer station for migratory

 birds

By the end of 1994, there were 1247 species of birds in China, of which 

793 were in Yunnan, making up 63.5% of the total. Now, it is generally

 acknowledged by ornithologists at home and abroad that Yunnan is a 

favorable place for bird study and a paradise to birds. Migration is 

the important characteristics of migratory birds. In Weishan County of

 Dali Prefecture, there is Longqinguan Mountain Pass that is the only 

pass for the migration of birds; beside the pass in the dense virgin 

forest at an altitude of 2700 meters stands a horizontal slabstone with 

the inscription of “An Impregnable Pass For Birds”, which, according

 to textual research, was inscribed in Wanli Period of the Ming Dynasty

 more than 500 years ago, and is the earliest record of the pass for 

migrants. As well as the pass for migrants, Longqinguan Mountain Pass

 was also an important pass for horses caravans.

Seagulls in the Spring City--spend winter with seagulls

When winter comes, thousands upon thousands of red-beaked seagulls fly 

from Siberia to spend  winter in Kunming, and they bring new sights for

 people. The red-beaked seagull, a common medium-sized gull in the Northern

 Hemisphere, is extensively distributed in Eurasia, where the vast land

 between 45º and 68º north latitude is its breeding place in summer,

 and then it migrates to the south to survive winter. The red-beaked

 seagull normally feeds on little fishes, shrimps and insects.