探秘金丝猴(上)

Observations of the Life of a Golden Monkey

神农架茫茫原始森林是神秘的,而生活在这片原始森林中的精灵——金丝猴更形成了一个神秘的世界。为了揭开这一神秘面纱,北京大学心理系的几位女科学家走进了神农架深山老林,潜心研究金丝猴八年。她们与金丝猴从相遇、相识到相知、相倚,结下了不解之缘,并将金丝猴社会鲜为人知的精彩、有趣画面展现在我们面前,当我们对这些大山中的小生灵有了一定了解时会有哪些启示呢?

There are four kinds of golden monkeys in the world. Three of them live in China. The golden monkeys in Shennongjia are the most widely dis-tributed kind in the country.Living in habitats with ice and snow in the winter, the golden monkeys here have similar characteristics as those of mammals in temperate zones high above sea level. They are tall and strong with thick skin and hair.Golden monkeys usually live in large groups composed of basic units--families. A family has a male, a few, or even a dozen, females and their offspring. When moving across open areas, there are usually time and space intervals between families. The male is the one who coordinates relationships within the family. It also has priority in obtaining food and initiating reproduction. Vocal calls are the most common method of communication for the golden monkeys.Increasingly, Shennongjia has more and more visitors. When observing the golden monkeys, please walk slowly and carefully, for you are in their home.