Eurasian Wild Pig Jawbone

Eurasian Wild Pig (Sus scrofa, 野猪).

There are wild pigs in Hunan but they do not often enter into the cities. One must have gotten close as this jawbone was deposited by a stream in Taohualing Park.

Baby Rhesus Macaque in the Snow

Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta, 普通猕猴).

This baby macaque was waiting for its mother in the snow in the Wulingyuan scenic area near the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. The mountain snow was beautiful and lasting though a little terrifying to traverse at higher altitudes.

Siberian Weasel

Siberian Weasel (Mustela sibirica, 黄鼬).

Down by the Xiang river, the snow has revealed much of nature that usually remains hidden. A Siberian weasel made a rare appearance, exploring the piles of dead reeds along the mudflats. The weasel kept its distance from me, sometimes crawling slowly from bank to bank, sometimes standing tall to survey around, and sometimes dashing to exploring new drifts of reeds and snow—and scattering varied flocks of birds from its path.

Pallas's Squirrel

Pallas's Squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus, 赤腹松鼠).

There are not many wild mammals on Yuelu Mountain, but near the Hunan Normal University campus there is one reclusive Pallas' squirrel that can sometimes be seen jumping from tree to tree. I see him once every two or three months, and only when the weather or term vacations have driven away the usual crowds of students and tourists. More rarely I have seen him mid-way up the mountain along some of the rugged footpaths north of the college. Perhaps there are other squirrels elsewhere on the mountain but I have not observed them.