I have a wildlife zoo

After visiting the pandas, I took the convenient path to Primate Paradise.

The snow monkey exhibit, with its appearance akin to an ancient, long-abandoned temple, beckons.

Now, the scene inside the venue is vastly different from days past, with white snow blanketing the ground and silver frost enveloping everything, transforming it into a vast, silent world.

The secluded mountain path in the cold, the desolate stream's edge, birds often chirp, but even more, there is silence, without people.

The black tiles of the temple roof are covered with a layer of pristine snowflakes, which, under the sun's rays, reveals a glaze of color, adding a sense of sacredness and fortune to the serene temple.

The visitors who come here can't help but be influenced by the atmosphere, becoming much quieter.

Each time Amamiya Kokoro visits, besides the pandas, she also enjoys watching the snow monkeys.

To see animals from my hometown in a foreign land naturally evokes a feeling of closeness.

Beyond the snow monkeys originating from my hometown, the layout and environment here are also quite intriguing.

The mottled walls, monkey-shaped lamp posts of various poses, and macaques frolicking in the temple inspire the imagination, making stories spontaneously come to mind.

Amamiya Kokoro and Anzu arrive at the door which is decorated like a temple, and through the glass curtain wall, they admire the scenery inside.

The temple covered in snow seems much more beautiful than usual!

The pristine and beautiful snowflakes soften the solemn and stately atmosphere, giving it a romantic charm.

The brick and stone pathway leading to the back of the temple is now concealed and covered by snowflakes. Bushes and weeds are crystal clear, like bunches of white flowers. The umbrella bamboo still sports fresh green leaves, adding a touch of life to this icy world.

The lush green pond that was once there has now turned into a steaming hot spring!

The mist arising from the hot spring water, as it meets the cold air, blurs the surroundings, and one can see over a dozen rosy-cheeked snow monkeys with ash-brown fluff scattered around, soaking in the hot spring.

Some of the snow monkeys, in the center of the hot spring, lean against each other, bathing while grooming their companion's fur, their paws moving swiftly.

Others sit side by side on the edge of the hot spring, their paws resting on stones.

A gust of wind blows, dispersing some of the mist, revealing a clearer view.

Amamiya Kokoro sees a snow monkey by the edge of the hot spring, holding a young one in its arms.

With a finger, it flicks the hot spring's surface, creating little bubbles.

When the bubbles form, it uses the same finger to pop them, seeming to enjoy the game endlessly!

One snow monkey squints its eyes, opens its mouth, as if comfortably groaning in pleasure, exhibiting a very human-like expression of lazy enjoyment.

There is also a muscular snow monkey with white snowflakes clinging to its head, paws grasped together resting on a stone, and its own chin pressed against the rock.

There's a tuft of gray hair above its mouth, its eyes bright and spirited, gazing through the hazy mist outside,

tilting its head slightly with one eyebrow subtly raised, then relaxing its expression again.

Watching it soak in the hot spring, there's a sense of a chubby uncle lazily bathing in the tub.

The onlookers view this scene with envy on their faces!

"These monkeys are living better than I am! They even have hot springs to soak in, they look so relaxed!"

"Bathing in a hot spring on a snowy day, experiencing the best of both worlds, it looks so refreshing!"

"Life as a monkey here is too comfortable, to die for! I want to sign up to be a monkey too, soaking in hot springs for free every day and eating fruit."

"There's a hot spring hotel nearby, how about we go for a soak this afternoon, my treat?"

"Wow, thanks, boss!"

Anzu winked slyly at Amamiya Kokoro and whispered, "Why don't we go for a hot spring soak too? I've heard it's great for beauty! With this weather, a dip in the hot springs must be really nice."

Amamiya Kokoro was suddenly tempted!

But then she thought about the final payment she had just made, her shriveled wallet, and the need to be frugal with expenditures for the near future, and the little spark of excitement that had just ignited was promptly extinguished.

"I'm broke, blew too much money on Singles' Day~ Let's wait until next month!"

Fortunately, going to Linhai Zoo didn't cost much if you were just looking around the zoo!

She even got a yearly pass by showing her international student ID.

A tourist remarked with a sense of wonder, "Indian monkeys climb utility poles, Chinese monkeys claim to be kings in the mountains, and Japanese monkeys soak in hot springs. They're all monkeys, but these Japanese snow monkeys seem so well-behaved, while those damned monkeys on Mount Emei are so aggressive, rummaging through bags and stealing things."

At that moment, an animal keeper from the snow monkey exhibit approached.

Hearing the tourist's remark, the keeper smiled and said, "Snow monkeys are very lively when they're not soaking in hot springs! Being lively and mischievous is in a monkey's nature. The monkeys at Mount Emei have been spoiled by tourists feeding them; it's not natural monkey behavior."

The tourist scratched his head, "Is that so?"

"Absolutely, and that's why we say you shouldn't feed them. Not only is human food not suitable for their diet, which could cause them diseases, but it can also lead to severe health issues, and even death, as well as behavioral changes!"

The keeper continued to explain, "The Japanese macaque, also known as the snow monkey, is a species of macaque that lives in the northern parts of Japan.

Japanese macaques are active during the day, spending most of their time in the forest eating a diet of seeds, flower buds, fruits, bird eggs, and leaves. They can survive in harsh environments with temperatures as low as -15 °C, which is quite rare among primates.

To survive in such cold climates, Japanese macaques have developed the habit of soaking together in hot springs.

By the way, the Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys are also nicknamed snow monkeys, possibly because they live in high-altitude coniferous forests over 3000 meters above sea level. They're clad in thick fur coats to cope with the freezing, snowy conditions, or perhaps because their infants are born with light-colored fur."

"Oh~"

"I love Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys too! But the zoo only has golden snub-nosed monkeys."

The keeper said, "Snow is a winter specialty. In snowy weather, animals exhibit unique behaviors.

There's a saying, 'Snow and rain bring joy to dogs, and sparrows hold a puff of air in their bellies.' It refers to the different attitudes towards snowfall.

In snowy weather, animals' tracks are more visible, which makes tracking prey a lot easier. Dogs' ancestors were wolves, which is why they have an affinity for snow. For small birds like sparrows, when the ground is covered with snow, it's hard to find food. If they can't find food, they could freeze to death, and that's why they dislike snow, feeling like they have a puff of air in their stomachs."

"Pay attention and observe. See how the snow monkeys behave differently from their usual selves! This kind of scene is seasonal and limited."

After listening to the keeper's explanation, the tourists started watching more seriously and intently.

Someone pointed to a robust monkey at the edge of the hot spring and curiously asked, "Is that the Monkey King?"

Upon careful observation, the keeper laughed and said, "No, that's the Monkey King's right-hand man. We've named him Uncle White! Doesn't he give off the vibe of a middle-aged uncle?"

"Indeed!"

"Then which one is the Monkey King?"