Yunnan: A kingdom of rare, adorable animals

Yunnan is dubbed as the kingdom of animals, but what do you think is the most adorable?

Many say the Yunnan species most favored by them is something like this: It has a most adorable face, with a blue look in its eyes and a pair of charming red lips.

Yes, you got it! It is the Yunnan snob-nosed money, a species even more precious than the giant panda.

The monkey is rare because it is a unique primate in China. Their only habitat lies in the Yunling Mountains between the Jinsha River and the Lancang River, at an elevation of 2800-4300 meters.

Today, we will also show you many other cute animals in Yunnan province. Look through the pictures and lines below, and you may have your own answer which is the cutest.

 

Black-necked crane

Dashanbao, a scenic area in northeast Yunnan’s Zhaotong City, makes a major habitat for the black-necked crane to spend winter. The medium-sized bird breeds on the Tibetan Plateau and remote parts of India and Bhutan.

The black-neck crane is mostly grey with a black head and neck. The lores and crown are naked and dull red. A small patch of white feathers are present below and behind the eye. It is the only crane species that breeds and grows up on the plateau regions.

Asian elephant

Xishuangbanna in south Yunnan is home to herds of wild Asian elephants, the largest living terrestrial animal in Asia.

Because of their thick and wrinkled skin, the elephants are susceptible to skin diseases, and they love to bath, especially mud-bathing. The emotional species can show family-like affections.

Lesser panda

The lesser panda, also called the red panda or the red bear-cat, is a mammal native to Yunnan and the eastern Himalayas. They enjoy the leaves and twigs of the arrow bamboo. They also eat leaves, fruits, birds and bird eggs.

The long-tailed pandas mostly look for food outside in the day, but at noon and night they take a break in a dry tree truck or rock cave. They are different from raccoons or pandas, though they look like one another. 

Takin

The takin, also called cattle chamois or gnu goat, is a goat-antelope found in the mountains of Gaoligong and Biluo, as well as in other eastern Himalayas regions. The animal looks either funny or cool, isn’t it?

Takins appear docile but strong-willed deep down. In the case of being cornered, they can even defeat the inexperienced hounds.

Yunnan bison

Also known as the gaur or Indian bison, the Yunnan bison are seen in Xishuangbanna, Cangyuan and Yingjiang in south and southwest Yunnan. It is typically a large animal, the “king” in the tropical forest.

The beast is bad-tempered and often bullies other small animals. Local forest authorities warned the public of staying away from the bison. 

Deer mouse

The deer mouse is a rodent native to the southern most tip of Yunnan’s Xishuangbanna and North America. It is of small size.

The little species only eats some fruits and flowers. It is smart and good at hiding in the grass. The deer mouse hates water. If itgets wet, the deer will squat till the water dries up in the sunshine. 

Marbled cat

To see the marbled cat is by no means easy, but it was recently seen in the Gaoligongshan nature reserve in west Yunnan.

Measuring roughly 50-cm long, the cat is already an endangered wild animal so it is almost impossible for the species to emerge in groups. 

Sooty-headed bulbul

The sooty-headed bulbul is a species found in Yunnan and south-eastern Asia. It is a hungry bird in love of vegetables and other plants.

As a song bird in the bulbul family, the lovely bird also likes dancing at its natural habitat in the subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Slow loris

Slow lorises are nocturnal strepsirrhine primates found in the tropicalrain forests in Yunnan province and Southeast Asia. They are slow, lazy and tend to stay in trees all day long.

Hornbill

Yunnan’s Yingjiang county, also called 'China’s Hornbill Valley', is home to 5 kinds of hornbills. Taken as a signature of loyal love, the bird will never change the mate/spouse once it has chosen one.

Besides the above-mentioned rare and cute creatures, Yunnan also boasts some ever-beautiful animal species.

Blue-throated barbet

Peacock

Black-necked pheasant

Leopard cat

Well, that is all we have to offer you today. Again, which is your favorite animal in Yunnan? You have the final say. 

By Chen Canxia, Wang Shixue