Chương 140: Chapter 706: Snow Monkeys in the Hot Springs
After watching the pandas, we followed the convenient path to the Realm of Monkeys.
The Snow Monkey Pavilion is designed to look like an ancient, long-abandoned Buddhist temple.
The scenery inside the pavilion is now vastly different from usual, with the ground covered in white snow and everything wrapped in a frosty silver, transforming it into a quiet, white world.
The cold mountain path is desolate, and the cold stream is silent. Birds chirp occasionally, but there are no people around.
The black tiles of the temple are covered with a layer of pristine snow, which, under the sunlight, gleams with a glass-like sheen, adding a sense of sanctity and auspiciousness to the tranquil temple.
Visitors who come here can't help but be influenced by the atmosphere, becoming much quieter.
Rain Palace Xin always enjoys visiting the snow monkeys, in addition to the pandas.
Seeing animals from her homeland in a foreign country naturally brings a sense of familiarity.
Besides the snow monkeys being from her homeland, the environment here is also quite intriguing.
The mottled walls, monkey-shaped lamp posts in various poses, and the monkeys playing in the temple all evoke many stories in one's mind.
Rain Palace Xin and Anzi arrived at the temple-like gate and admired the scenery inside through the glass wall.
The temple, covered in snow, looked much more beautiful than usual!
The pure and beautiful snowflakes softened the solemn and serious atmosphere, making it more romantic.
The brick path leading to the temple was now covered in snow, with the shrubs and weeds looking like clusters of white flowers. The bamboo leaves still retained their fresh green color, adding a touch of life to the snowy world.
The once lush green pond had now turned into a steaming hot spring!
The steam from the hot spring condensed into white mist in the cold, blurring the surroundings. You could see about a dozen snow monkeys with reddish faces and gray-brown fur soaking in the hot spring.
Some snow monkeys were in the center of the hot spring, leaning against each other, grooming their companions with their quick-moving paws.
Others were lined up along the edge of the hot spring, their paws resting on the stones.
A breeze blew, dispersing some of the mist, making the scene clearer.
Rain Palace Xin saw a snow monkey at the edge of the hot spring, holding a baby monkey in its arms.
It was flicking its fingers on the surface of the hot spring, making small bubbles.
When the bubbles appeared, it would pop them with its fingers, looking thoroughly entertained!
One snow monkey squinted its eyes and opened its mouth, seemingly sighing in comfort, with a very human-like expression of lazy enjoyment.
Another robust snow monkey, with some white snowflakes on its head, had its paws clenched and resting on a stone, its chin also pressed against the stone.
It had a tuft of gray beard above its mouth, and its bright eyes looked out through the mist,
tilting its head slightly, raising one eyebrow, and then relaxing its expression again.
Its posture in the hot spring gave the impression of a chubby human uncle soaking in a bath.
Seeing this, many visitors couldn't help but show envious expressions!
"These monkeys are living better than me! They get to soak in hot springs, so luxurious!"
"Soaking in a hot spring on a snowy day, the contrast of hot and cold must feel amazing!"
"This life is too comfortable, I'm so jealous! I want to sign up to be a monkey, soaking in hot springs and eating fruit every day."
"There's a hot spring hotel nearby, why don't we go soak for a while this afternoon? My treat?"
"Wow, thanks, boss!"
Anzi nudged Rain Palace Xin and whispered, "Why don't we go soak in a hot spring too? I heard hot springs are good for your skin! Soaking in this weather would be so nice."
Rain Palace Xin was tempted!
But then she remembered her recently paid bills and her empty wallet, realizing she needed to save money, and the small spark of excitement quickly died down.
"No money left, I bought too many things on Singles' Day. Maybe next month!"
Luckily, a simple visit to Linhai Zoo isn't very expensive!
She even got an annual pass with her student ID.
A visitor commented, "Indian monkeys climb electric poles, Chinese monkeys rule the mountains, and Japanese monkeys soak in hot springs. Even though they're all monkeys, these Japanese snow monkeys look so well-behaved, while the monkeys on Mount Emei are so arrogant, stealing and rummaging through bags."
At this moment, a zookeeper from the Snow Monkey Pavilion walked over.
Hearing the visitor's comment, the zookeeper smiled and said, "Snow monkeys are very lively when they're not soaking in hot springs! Being lively and playful is a monkey's nature. The monkeys on Mount Emei have been spoiled by visitors feeding them, which isn't their natural behavior."
The visitor scratched his head, "Is that so?"
"Yes, that's why we don't allow feeding. Not only does it disrupt their diet, potentially causing diseases or even death, but it also changes their behavior!"
The zookeeper continued to explain, "Japanese macaques, also known as snow monkeys, live in northern Japan.
Japanese macaques are diurnal, spending most of their time in forests, feeding on seeds, buds, fruits, bird eggs, and leaves. They can survive in harsh environments with temperatures as low as -15°C, which is rare among primates.
To survive in such cold environments, Japanese macaques have evolved the habit of soaking in hot springs.
By the way, the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey is also nicknamed the snow monkey, possibly because they live in high-altitude coniferous forests over 3,000 meters above sea level, with thick fur to withstand the cold and snowy environment, or because their babies are entirely white."
"Oh~"
"I also like the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey! But the zoo only has Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys."
The zookeeper said, "Snow is a winter specialty, and animals show unique behaviors in snowy weather.
There's a saying that goes, 'Snowfall and rain make dogs happy, but sparrows are full of anger,' which describes different attitudes towards snow.
In snowy weather, animal tracks are more visible, making it easier to track prey. Dogs' ancestors are wolves, so they have a fondness for snow. On the other hand, sparrows struggle to find food when the ground is covered in snow, and without food, they can freeze to death, hence their dislike for snow.
Everyone can observe the snow monkeys' different behaviors in the snow! Such scenes are seasonal exclusives."
After listening to the zookeeper's explanation, the visitors watched more intently.
Someone pointed to a robust monkey at the edge of the hot spring and curiously asked, "Is that the monkey king?"
The zookeeper took a closer look and laughed, "No, that's just the monkey king's deputy. We call him Uncle Bai! Doesn't he look like a middle-aged uncle?"
"Indeed!"
"Then which one is the monkey king?"
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