Capítulo 141: Chapter 707: Playing with Snowballs
The zookeeper pointed to the back.
All the snow monkeys were soaking in the hot spring, except for one, which was sitting alone on a stone at the edge of the hot spring!
Its expression was somewhat forlorn, staring intently in one direction, as if its gaze pierced through the mist, past the zoo walls, and towards a distant homeland.
The zookeeper said, "The monkey king is the one sitting alone without soaking in the hot spring! Its name is Dahei, and it has a relatively solitary nature."
Although called Dahei, its fur was actually gray, just a bit darker, as if it had been brushed with ink, the ink spreading and blending.
Rain Palace Xin looked at Dahei, feeling that this was a monkey with a story!
Could it be that monkeys also feel homesick and miss their loved ones?
Of course, it might also be troubled by something else.
Dahei just squatted there, and a little snow monkey noticed its dazed look.
The little monkey climbed out of the hot spring, ran over to Dahei, and snuggled up against it.
It seemed to think that in such weather, Dahei must be too cold sitting alone and needed a companion to help keep it warm.
Dahei ignored it, maintaining a cold expression, not acknowledging the little snow monkey.
The little snow monkey leaned against Dahei's sturdy thigh, tugging at the fur on its belly.
Dahei, being solitary, didn't like interacting with other monkeys and preferred to be alone.
It started walking on all fours along the stones at the edge of the hot spring, causing the little snow monkey to turn its head in confusion.
Dahei walked a few steps, squatted down, and then leapt!
Its robust body jumped onto a stone, then lightly jumped again to a distant spot.
The little snow monkey scratched its chest fur, looking innocent and puzzled, not understanding why Dahei didn't want to stay with it, and followed after it!
The other little snow monkeys in the hot spring, seeing their companion go ashore, couldn't stay put either.
They all ran over, surrounding Dahei and not letting it leave.
Dahei squatted in the snow, its paws tucked into its chest, head lowered.
It glanced at the mischievous little snow monkeys, suddenly stretched its head forward, and slightly opened its mouth!
It made a threatening gesture, startling the little snow monkey.
The little monkey sat down with a thud, raising its paws defensively, looking at Dahei in confusion.
Dahei stared at it for two seconds, then closed its mouth, its serious face relaxing and softening a bit, blinking a couple of times.
It was like a stern elder pretending to be angry, teasing the little ones!
The little snow monkey, realizing it was just a game, turned to play with its companions.
Dahei lowered its head again, tucking its paws, lost in thought.
However, it occasionally lifted its head, glancing at the playful little snow monkeys with a hint of kindness in its eyes.
For the little snow monkeys, the most important thing every day was to play without worries.
One little snow monkey made a snowball with its paws, while another companion, taking advantage of its distraction, ran a few steps on the snow and agilely jumped onto its back!
Clinging to its back, it jumped up before the other could react, performing a somersault in the air and landing gracefully, showcasing an impressive acrobatic feat.
The little snow monkey held its snowball tightly against its chest and dashed away, with its companion chasing after it.
They didn't play with snowballs by throwing them at each other like humans, but more like a game of rugby, protecting the snowball from being taken by others and chasing after the one with the snowball.
It's unclear how these snow monkeys invented this way of playing.
Playing was also a way to practice future competition!
The first little snow monkey that left the hot spring made a snowball, holding it with both paws, and walked over to Dahei, wanting Dahei to join in the game, but Dahei refused.
Dahei squatted on the ground, scooped up some snow, and tasted it, while the little snow monkey played with the snow pile beside it.
Anzi, watching this harmonious scene, couldn't help but sigh, "So heartwarming!"
Rain Palace Xin said, "Dahei looks cold and indifferent, but it's actually very gentle inside!"
Anzi nodded, "Although it doesn't want to play with the little monkeys, it hasn't driven them away either."
A curious visitor asked, "I remember that macaques have a hierarchy, right? The monkey king gets first pick of the pretty females and the best food, and other monkeys have to show respect to the monkey king. Why can these snow monkeys soak in the hot spring together, and the little monkeys aren't very disciplined?"
The zookeeper explained, "That's correct, snow monkeys also follow those rules!
This hot spring has enough space for these snow monkeys to soak together.
If there are too many monkeys, the monkey king, other high-ranking leaders, high-ranking females, and their offspring get priority. Other monkeys trying to join might be attacked and driven away.
However, snow monkeys are quite united! Facing the harsh winter, only unity ensures better survival.
The leader also coordinates, making space for everyone to avoid bigger conflicts.
After conflicts, snow monkeys groom each other to reconcile. Grooming is the glue that maintains relationships in the monkey group. It keeps them clean, provides free food, and calms them, benefiting both parties."
"The monkey group is like a small society! Such complex relationships."
"Their social interactions are quite interesting."
Seeing the visitors' fascination, the zookeeper smiled and expanded the explanation, "Humans can keep warm with clothes and heating, snow monkeys have hot springs, and other animals have different ways to cope with the cold!
The most common method is making a warm burrow!
Small animals like lemmings dig small snow pits, creating an insulated environment like an Inuit igloo. They also dig tunnels, allowing them to survive comfortably even in harsh winds and cold.
Foxes and wolves grow thick winter fur to keep warm. When the weather warms up, they shed for shorter fur.
Emperor penguins in Antarctica, standing on cold ice and snow, have a special circulatory system that adjusts blood flow to their feet based on temperature, keeping their feet warm enough to avoid freezing.
Turtles, snakes, and lizards hibernate in winter, slowing their metabolism until warmer days return.
Some migratory birds travel long distances to warmer places for winter! Recently, our zoo has had some yellow-breasted buntings visiting for the winter, occasionally seen in the rice fields of the local exhibit area.
Some animals rely on human-made warmth for winter, like stray cats that crawl under car engines for warmth."
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