Tracking the East Black Crested Gibbon
Huang Song and a photographer for the Guangxi Museum, a member of the China Photographers Association, has been focusing on and photographing Guangxi's unique and rare wild flora and fauna for 15 years. He was awarded first prize in the China district of the 2006 'National Geographic' Global Photography Competition, among many other international awards. Numerous works have been published in 'People's Daily', 'China Daily', 'China National Geography', and 'American National Geography (Chinese Edition)'.
After adulthood, female monkey faces will undergo a yellowing transformation, while males will maintain blackness.
Around 7 pm, the gibbon armadillos began their nocturnal sleeping time, as the female of the troop was taking her young brother into sleep.
Born on October 13, 2019, this infant gibbon marked the current number of species in China at 33.
Close observation of the East Black Crested Gibbon can feel its eyes full of spirituality.
The diet of the East Black Crested Gibbon mainly consists of wild fruits and tender leaves, supplemented with birds and insects.
In times of fruit scarcity in winter, the mother gibbon and her children forage for sprouting buds.
They possess vision and hearing far beyond the ordinary, and their rich facial expressions can even be used to communicate with members of the group without making a sound.
The fixed family structure of the East Black Crested Gibbon is 'one husband and two wives', and after two years of family establishment, young gibbons begin to be born. A thriving and stable troop population can reach 9.
Among the 400+ species of primates in the world, the genes and behaviors of gibbons are closest to humans. This is seen with the big gibbon and the mother gibbon embracing each other in the Huang Lian Gibbon troop.
The young gibbon firmly clings to the mother's embrace, which is inherent in them.
In the 1950s, the East Black Crested Gibbon was once declared extinct in the wild by international primate experts until 2006, when experts discovered their tracks during a survey on the China-Vietnam border, which made this species regain people's sight. This area, located at the junction of in Guangxi and in Vietnam, became the last habitat for more than 100 East Black Crested Gibbons on the planet. Within China, with the years of efforts by the local, government and nature reserves, the population of East Black Crested Gibbons has developed from the initial 3 groups of 21 to the current 5 groups of 33.
A year ago, when I first entered the Guangxi Bong Liang Gibbon National Nature Reserve to track and photograph the East Black Crested Gibbon, I could hardly imagine how difficult it was to capture this rare species. Living and sleeping in this uninhabited forest, you are likely to encounter poisonous snakes, ticks and various dangerous unknown creatures. The continuous karst peaks and cliffs made it difficult to see a complete sky, with sharp and jagged stones, no water source, and it was difficult to find a small area to set up a tent.
I chose to track the gibbon troop, which was relatively better for photography. As long as I could hear their calls, I would know approximately where they were. I called them the Huang Lian Gibbon troop. According to experts, the Huang Lian Gibbon troop's 'family' was established in 2010, with a basic family structure of 'one husband and two wives'. On October 13, 2019, the 5th young gibbon was born, and from then on, the member of this gibbon family reached 8, becoming the largest gibbon family in this area, and I had the privilege to witness the development and growth of this family.
After a long period of observation and analysis, I gradually understood the physical characteristics and habits of the Huang Lian Gibbon troop, and I was so familiar with them that even if any of them appeared alone in front of my lens, I could recognize them. This is also due to the gibbon troop's familiarity with my existence, which made it possible for me to take close-up photos.
As a wildlife photographer, I have never seen an animal so similar to humans. Their hands have 5 fingers, they choose and peel fruit when eating, they are very affectionate with their children and respectful of their elders, and their eyes are full of spirituality. Their calls are beautiful and penetrating, and they express joy, anger, sadness and happiness through pitch and tone. I can even judge their next action by listening to their calls.
Immersed in the joy of capturing a good shot, sometimes I forget that I am still in the primitive jungle, but danger often comes unexpectedly.
On June 13, 2019, this is the most memorable day I recorded in my diary—
Fortunately, I can still write diaries safely. In the past two hours, I truly felt scared and nervous. The East Black Crested Gibbon troop encountered thunderstorm and strong convection weather in the primitive forest, which was lucky to escape. I recorded this in my diary—
Fortunately, I wrapped two paper balls to plug my ears, and the whole person was wrapped in the blanket, watching the lightning, but the strong vibration and the smell of electricity caused by the current were very frightening. I felt helpless and afraid for the gibbon troop for the first time in the night, and it was also the first time I felt helpless and afraid in the depths of the night. I listened to the familiar singing of a lone bird, and I felt terrified.
After several hours, the weather gods had released their energy. Taking off the paper balls plugged in my ears, the world became quiet again, and I heard the singing of the familiar lone bird at night. For the first time in my life, I felt helpless and afraid in the depths of the night, and I worried about the gibbon troop.
On the morning of the day, the gibbon troop's calls still penetrated through the valley, and everything was alright! (Huang Song and Photography Report)
