Wulingyuan Wildlife

The winter days may be spectacular for tourists in Wulingyuan National Park but they are no joy to the residents. These Rhesus monkeys, despite woolly coats looked chilly. Overall they are uncommon but of course they abound where there are people, in hopes of food.
The Park with its range of habitats is also supposed to be home to a wide variety of indigenous and endangered flora and fauna, including clouded leopard and pygmy slow loris, but as visitors are actively discouraged from going off the paths it is doubtful that these are ever seen. Birds, of which there are 90 species, were also very subdued with the cold. 
There was one poor old Giant Salamander that was kept for show in a very small and shallow pool, beside the stream it was supposed to live in. As with many animals these have been hunted nearly to extinction as they are considered a delicacy. There is a conservation area within the park and I think some breeding schemes - but whether these are for conservation or eating purposes I don't know. The tour guide was kind and made sure I wasn't falling off the cliff edge but as he spoke no English and I was limited to Hello and Thank you  it was difficult to find out anything.