International Mountain Day| Concerning about mountain ecosystems
Do you live near the mountains? The mountains and forests always bring your life vibrant elements! The annual International Mountain Day falls on Monday.
It is a Day set on December 11, 2003, when FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) of the UN (the United Nations) hoped to evoke global awareness of mountain ecosystem and to protect the biodiversity of mountain farming and wildlife.
The Day of 2023 themes on "Restoring Mountain Ecosystems", calling on countries to adopt nature-based solutions, utilize best practices, enhance the inherent resilience of mountain areas, reduce ecological vulnerability, and improve the ability of mountain regions to cope with daily threats and extreme weather events.
Yunnan province, southwest China, has a mountainous plateau terrain, and its mountainous area of 349,300 square kilometers accounts for 88.6% of the total land area of the province (data from Yunnan Yearbook 2023 and Yunnan provincial government website).
It is one of the Chinese provinces with the richest biodiversity and is also a global biodiversity hotspot.
Yunnan is home to numerous nationally protected wildlife, including both first and second-tier key protected species, residing and thriving throughout the province.
These species are an integral part of the mountainous natural environment in Yunnan and directly reflect the achievements in biodiversity conservation in the province in recent years.
Recently, images of many rare wildlife were captured by two Yunnan photographers in the mountain forests.
The lovely creatures were having fun in the forests. Some just rest in the trees and sometimes, others wander around riverside carefreely.
Let’s see their daily life!
1. Capped langur
A capped langur
The Capped langur is a nationally protected first-tier wild animal in China. They crown distinctive dark fur on their heads, just like a little hat.
Capped langurs rest in the tree.
A host of capped langurs
There are four currently recognized subspecies of the Capped langur, found in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, northern Myanmar, and exclusively in the northwestern part of Yunnan province, along the Dulong River valley of the Gongshan Mountains. Thus, they are considered a "star species" in mountainous forests.
2. White-cheeked macaque
A white-cheeked macaque sits on a branch.
The White-Cheeked macaque is a new species discovered in 2015.
White-cheeked macaques skip among the trees.
It features a distinctive white facial fur in adulthood. Thus, Chinese scientists name it the White-cheeked Macaque.
A white-cheeked macaque in the branches
They inhabit high-altitude mountain forests in Xizang autonomous region and Yunnan province.
3. Gongshan takin
Two Gongshan takins stand side by side.
As a large herbivorous animal in the bovid family, they prefer communal living and inhabit high-altitude cold regions above 2500 meters. Their diet consists mainly of grass, leaves, and flower buds.
A herd of takins wander on the benchland.
A takin walks along the mountain creek.
Currently, Gongshan Takin can be found in the northwestern part of Yunnan province around the Mt.Gaoligong and the Dulong River basin, in the southeastern part of Xizang autonomous region along the Yarlung Zangbo River, as well as in Myanmar.
Photo by Run Ning and Shan Lan
Editing by Wang Jingzhong
Translating by Wang Yunya
Proofreading by Wang Shixue and Wang Huan
Producing by Yunnan Int’l Communication Center for S&SE Asia