caring for tribes of elfins · yanzhu monkey, which in chinese literally means greedy pigs...
TRANSCRIPT
People� P A G E 2 9C H I N A � D A I L Y � � � � � � � � � � � � E U R O P E A N � W E E K L Y O C T O B E R � 1 0 - 1 6 , � 2 0 1 4
By JIA [email protected]
E very� morning� at� 8,� Xiao�Zhijin�walks�miles�to�a�river�valley,�taking�breakfast�to�his�old�friends�of�nearly�26�
years,�the�Francois�langurs,�some�of�the�world’s�rarest�monkeys.
The�Francois� langur� is�athletic�but�elfin�in�appearance.�With�black�silky�hair�and�very�distinct�white�sideburns�that�grow�down�from�its�ears�to�the�corners�of�its�cheeks.�The�endangered�monkey,�found�mostly�in�parts�of�China�and�Vietnam,�has�first�class�national�protection�in�China.
Xiao�Zhijin,�52,�has�kept�the�morn-ing�ritual�between�himself�and�the�Francois�langurs�since�he�started�taming�them�in�1997�in�the�Mayanghe�nature�reserve�of�Yanhe�Tujia�autono-mous�prefecture,�in�southwest�Chi-na’s�Guizhou�province.
Ten�of�the�monkeys�appeared�when�they�heard�Xiao’s�three�whistles,�then�they�sat�on�rocks�scattered�along�the�Mayanghe�River�bank,�taking�sweet�potato�chips�from�Xiao’s�hand�and�eating.
“We�should�have�seen�11�of�them.�Maybe�the�missing�one�is�dead,”�Xiao�says,�his�eyes�wet.
He�knows�that�the�depth�and�veloc-ity�of�water�used�for�hydropower�in�the�area�can�swallow�the�baby�lan-gurs.
“No�one�could�get�close�to�them.�Now�the�little�robbers�expect�him,”�says�a�local�villager,�referring�to�Xiao�and�smiling.�
Fed�up�with�the�monkeys�stealing�grain,�locals�nicknamed�the�langurs�yanzhu�monkey,�which�in�Chinese�literally�means�greedy�pigs�inhabiting�rocks�and�caves.�
The�villagers�didn’t�know�how�precious�the�langurs�were�until�the�Mayanghe�nature�reserve�was�upgrad-ed�to�be�a�national�reserve�for�better�preservation�of�the�langurs�in�2003.�
The�total�number�of�the�primates�is� believed� to�be� about� 2,000� in�the�world,�and�there�were�730�(in�76�groups)�of�Francois�langurs�in�Mayanghe�national�nature�reserve�in�2004,�according�to�Fauna�and�Flora�International.�
To�protect�the�precious�species,�the�local�government�appointed�four�workers�to�feed�them,�but�only�Xiao�is�still�at�it.
Xiao,�the�only�such�caretaker�of�Francois�langurs�in�China,�started�the�feedings�with�a�group�of�five�dwelling�in�a�cave.
“I�named�the�leader�of�the�group��Zhaolai,�implying�my�hope�that�one�day�the�langurs�would�come�as�soon�as�I�whistle.”
For� two�months,�Xiao� camped�at�the�mouth�of�a�cave�that�was�30�meters�from�the�langurs’�dwelling.��
He�used�a�telescope�to�observe�them�every�five�minutes�and�recorded�
the�physical�characteristics�and�food�habits�of�each�one�in�the�group.
In�the�following�month,�Xiao�put�corn,�peanuts�and�sweet�potato�chips�at�the�same�time�each�day�in�a�fixed�place�within�the�langurs’�territory,�enticing�them�to�come�and�eat.�
Xiao�finally�decided�to�meet�the�langurs�on�Chinese�New�Year’s�Day�in�1998�when�they�had�been�accustomed�to�getting�food�at�the�fixed�place�and�on�time.�
“I�was�surprised�and�comforted�that�they�didn’t�run�away�when�they�saw�me,�as�if�they�knew�I�was�the�man�to�feed�them,”�Xiao�says.
He�then�spent�another�month�to�train�them�to�respond�to�whistles.�
“They� rushed�around�and� fled�when�they�first�heard�my�whistle,”�Xiao�says.�He�tried�changing�the�loca-tion�of�the�food,�then�whistling�three�times�to�signal�his�location.
The�langurs�gradually�recognized�
Xiao’s�three�whistles.�They�came�to�eat�the�food,�keeping�a�safe�distance�of�five�to�six�meters�from�him.
Over�the�past�two�decades,�Xiao�has�become�an�expert�on�langurs�thanks�to�his�daily�observations�of�the�animals.�
He�says�that�based�on�his�years-long�observations,�the�number�of�Francois�langurs�in�the�reserve�is�limited�to�within�800�because�only�the�leader�of�each�group�has�the�right�to�mate�and�breed,�and�relations�with�other�groups�with�a�leader�are�totally�forbidden�in�the�monkeys’�social�order.�
The�langurs,�whose�average�life�span�is�about�26�years,�can�give�birth�to�only�one�offspring�at�a�time,�and�the�intervals�between�births�last�two�and�a�half�to�three�years.�
“Xiao’s�observations�and�detailed�records�help�a�lot�for�my�study,”�says�Hu�Gang,�an�animal�behavior�expert�focusing�on�Francois�langurs.
Hu�classified�the�langurs�in�four�age�groups:�Infants�are�less�than�half�a�year�old,�teenagers�around�2�years�old,�young�adults�roughly�between�4�and�5,�and�grown-ups�beyond�6�years�old.���
“I�love�the�black�elfins,�but�I�won’t�spoil�the�love,”�Xiao�says.�If�the�lan-gurs�don’t�show�up�upon�hearing�his�three�whistles�within�half�an�hour,�he�will�whistle�a�fourth�time,�informing�them�that�the�food�is�gone.�
“The�Francois�langurs�attach�great�importance�to�family�values,”�says�Xiao,�who�has�tamed�three�groups�of�langurs�in�succession.�
He�says�he�was�most�impressed�by�the�second�group,�whose�leader�he�named�Mama.
Mama,�who�was�young�and�strong,�defeated�Zhaolai�and�took�over�his�group�in�2004,�enlarging�his�own�group�to�12�members.
“Mama�enjoyed�his�heyday�with�his�big�family�for�nearly�five�years,”�Xiao�says,�Mama’s�family�saw�two�inva-sions�as�he�grew�old�and�weak,�but�he�successfully�defended�against�the�first�one�with�his�sons’�help.�
“It’s�cruel�that�the�new�leader�must�kill�baby�langurs�of�the�former�leader�when�he�takes�the�throne,”�Xiao�says.�Mama�was�finally�defeated�in�2005,�and�a�newborn�of�his�was�killed�by�the�new�leader.�“That’s�why�I�didn’t�name�the�new�leader.”
Xiao�has�devoted�his�golden�years�to�the�reserve�and�has�developed�gray�hair�and�wrinkles�while�watching�the�“regime�changes”.
“Our�family�depended�on�his�wag-es,�but�we�could�just�scrape�by�for�the�past�two�decades,”�Xiao’s�wife�says,�shaking�her�head�when�Xiao�is�asked�whether�it�is�rewarding�to�be�an�ani-mal�caretaker�in�the�reserve.�
Xiao�says�it’s�rewarding�because�he�was�not�taking�care�of�the�langurs�for�himself�but�for�the�world.�
“Taming�the�black�elfins�was�my�best�decision�in�life.”
Caring for tribes of elfinsA MAN IN GUIZHOU PROVINCE HAS SPENT HALF HIS LIFE LOOKING AFTER GROUPS OF VERY RARE AND ENDANGERED MONKEYS
YANG JUN / FOR CHINA DAILY
Top: Xiao Zhijin blows a whistle to gather the Francois langurs. Above: Xiao feeding the Francois langurs.
ZHAO HUI / FOR CHINA DAILY