From January 14 to 16, 2025, a team led by Professor Song Ke from the Department of Stomatology at Tongji Hospital affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and another led by Yang Jingyuan from the Scientific Research Institute of Shennongjia National Park braved harsh weather conditions to conduct groundbreaking research on the stomatognathic system of golden snub-nosed monkeys. The research was carried out at the Xiaolongtan Wildlife Rescue Center within Shennongjia National Park, using rescued individuals of the species.
At 9:34 PM on January 2, an unexpected and heartwarming scene unfolded at the Guoyuan Hotel in Muyu Town, Shennongjia Forestry District. Two tourists from China Three Gorges University(CTGU), while taking a walk, encountered a special "visitor"—a male sika deer, a first-class nationally protected species. The sudden appearance of the deer disrupted the hotel’s tranquility. Initially startled by the large animal, the tourists concerned for its safety and feared it might get injured in the town, so they immediately called the police. Thus a heartfelt rescue operation began.
Winter is a test for all creatures, and Shennongjia golden snub-nosed monkeys are no exception. The little golden snub-nosed monkeys in the snow are particularly eye-catching. They are jumping around and playing with each other. When they are cold, they get into the big monkeys to find warmth. When they are hungry, they nibble on bark and grass roots. They are strong and healthy, as if they are not afraid of the cold in winter.
The mouth of Shennong Valley is the grand stand for the changing scenery of Shennongjia National Park. It can also be said to be the viewing platform for the blockbuster scenery of Shennongjia. The scenery here is unique every day, 365 days a year; twenty-four hours a day, it changes endlessly from time to time.
On the desk of the forest chief's office in Shennongjia National Park, we unexpectedly saw a stack of light blue notebooks with the words "Mountain Patrol Record Book" written on their covers, so we took them over and looked through them. It is the work log of the Banqiao Management and Conservation Center of the Shennongding Management Administration of Shennongjia National Park. The name of the book had been used from 2017 to 2022, and then changed to "Forest Chief Patrol Record Book".
After I scanned a few pages, it stunned and touched me a lot that the 7-year consecutive working records were all finished by Chen Xiaobing himself alone, even with no interruption, which immediately enkindled my respect.