I am the Red Dot, I am the Yunnan Silver Monkey. I speak for myself.
Text/Zhang Yi Na, Meng Xin Yuan
Picture/Long Yong Cheng
Support Institutions/Alashan SEE Project Center, Bai Ma Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve Administration
Editor/Wang Yan Ling
On July 9, 2017, the SEE Yunnan Silver Monkey Research Camp was launched in Lijiang. The camp principal, Long Yong Cheng, led the young campers in a ten-day camp, learning and experiencing science courses, observing the behavior of Yunnan silver monkeys, mountain climbing, fieldwork, and social surveys. This allowed the young campers to get closer to the Yunnan silver monkeys. After the camp ended, the young campers wrote essays using a narrative approach, showcasing the life of the Yunnan silver monkeys.
Hello everyone!
I am the red point of the endangered Yunnan silver monkey, and I am already 13 years old.
I live in the responsive gorge of Bai Ma Snow Mountain, with 11 other Yunnan silver monkey families forming a group. What I'm most proud of is my 6 beautiful wives, who are Zero, Xiao Hei, Zero Xin, Chun Fen, Er Ding and Mao Lian. Last year, I had 3 children born, and this year I had 4. Notably, my wife Zero Xin was the first Yunnan silver monkey in the group to give birth to a baby monkey, and the baby monkey's name is Snow. This process was completely recorded by Fu Qin Qin teacher, this is the first time a video recorded Yunnan silver monkey was born.
To understand me, you need to start with my youth. Back then, I was a dashing bachelor, and I hung out with my brothers in the 'Wild West'. I was only 5 years old when I saw others with wives and children, and I was envious. But I knew they were strong, and only by constantly strengthening myself could I have a chance to win my happiness. As for why I wanted to steal, it's because there were too many bachelors and not enough girls. After eight years of quiet life, during a sunny day, I infiltrated the territory of the 'Big Hand' and stole two of his beautiful wives.
To protect my wife and children, my most important task every day is 'eating', so I have enough energy to deal with the little monkeys who challenged me. Boss Yu is our guardian, and when it's nine o'clock in the morning and four o'clock in the afternoon, I hear the whistle, and he's bringing me pine needles. I take a small pinch to taste, huh, it's not bad. My six wives come over to eat with me. After they're full, they guard my new little monkey girls, watching them play. You ask me what I'm doing? Of course, I'm still eating, ensuring sufficient energy so I can show my heroic image as a loving father, I don't want to be like the United Nations and randomly scold my daughters,
At high altitude, the environment reduces the number of foods in our family's recipe, besides the pine needles supplied by Boss Yu every morning and afternoon, we also eat moss, leaves of broad-leaved trees, and bamboo shoots. I keep stuffing pine needles into my mouth, seeing my belly gradually swelling into a ball, I feel boundless strength and boundless energy, as if I had attained an immortal skill. I let my wives 'pack' the leftover pine needles, taking our whole monkey family towards the depths of the forest to find a suitable afternoon nap spot,
I like the tall and branchy ironwood or oak trees on the hillside. I'm comfortable and safe when I sleep. Our family's eating, drinking, and sleeping are basically all on trees, so if one day you pass by a tree and something falls from the sky, you don't need to be surprised or delighted. At about 8:30 p.m., after a tiring day, I lay on the tree, closed my eyes contentedly. My wife and children are all sleeping soundly, truly a happy monkey life,
