[Explanation] October 24 is the International Gibbon Day, which was established by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2015 to draw the public's attention to gibbons and call on social forces to unite and take positive actions to protect gibbons.

There are mainly 6 species of gibbons in China. Currently, only Hainan gibbons, Skywalking gibbons, Eastern black crested gibbons and Western black crested gibbons can be monitored in the wild.

Jingdong County, Pu'er City, Yunnan Province is one of the areas where the distribution of western black crested gibbons is relatively concentrated.

Recently, the reporter followed the patrol team jointly formed by the local protected area management and protection bureau and the public security bureau to walk into Wuliang Mountain to visit the western black crested gibbons.

　　[Explanation] It was just dawn at 7 o'clock in the morning, accompanied by the chirping of gibbons, the originally quiet mountains and forests became lively.

Following the call, the patrol team crossed the steep mountain stream and the steep hillside, and finally saw the figure of the western black crested gibbons in the depths of a dense forest. At this time, the distance between them and people was about 10 meters. They are playing on the swings in the woods, and some are picking wild fruits from the trees and eating them.

　　[Same period] Lin Deyong, director of the protected area police station of Jingdong County Public Security Bureau

　　The gibbons we see now are feeding on the fruits of Shuidongge. Gibbons usually feed on the stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits of plants. For example, in this season, they usually eat the blood of dragon palms, wild persimmons, etc. In addition to plants, Through monitoring, we also found that it will prey on some smaller wild animals, such as flying squirrels and squirrels.

　　[Explanation] The western black crested gibbon is a typical arboreal small ape, living in the humid evergreen broad-leaved forest ecosystem of Zhongshan.

In Jingdong, Yunnan, in order to protect the western black crested gibbons and master their living habits, so as to better provide relevant data for scientific research, the protection bureau hired local villagers to track and monitor several of the gibbon populations.

One of the monitors is Xiong Youfu, who has been monitoring gibbons for 12 years.

　　[Concurrent] Gibbon monitor Xiong Youfu

　　Just follow it (gibbons), wherever it goes (we just run), record what it eats, and observe what it eats.

　　[Explanation] The data collected by the monitors provided strong support for scientific research.

From November 2020 to October 2021, the Jingdong Management Bureau of Yunnan Wuliangshan Ailao Mountain National Nature Reserve, the Kunming Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Dali University and the Yunshan Biodiversity Conservation and Research Center will jointly A new round of population and distribution surveys of the western black crested gibbons in Wuliangshan area were conducted.

　　[Concurrent] Luo Youyong, Director of Jingdong Management and Protection Bureau of Wuliangshan Ailao Mountain National Nature Reserve, Yunnan

　　There are a total of 104 groups with about 600 animals, including 11 groups in Zhenyuan County, 3 groups in Nanjian County, and 90 groups in Jingdong.

When our Jingdong surveyed in 2011, the number was 87 groups, indicating that the number of populations is steadily increasing, and the protection effect is relatively obvious.

　　Du Xiaoxiao He Yougang Chen Weilong reports from Pu'er, Yunnan

Responsible editor: [Ji Xiang]