In search of lost worlds
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Chinese giant salamander |
The journey begins
I arrived in Zhangjiajie National Park, set in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area. My base was a hostel located within the park; here I could quiz locals and nature lovers alike for the best spots for a salamander sighting.
Just a five-minute walk from the hostel door provided a feast for the senses: aromas from the lush foliage hung in the humid air; vines, ferns and broad leaves brushed past ankles and wrists; ears were stimulated by the hums of insects; and there was the sight of the geological grandeurs themselves, spiking up through the undergrowth like elongated church spires.
There were also tourists - yet no Australians, Europeans or North Americans. Although this region is virtually unheard of in the West, to Chinese and Koreans, Zhangjiajie is a must–see. So there was a hustle of sightseers who tramped across walkways in all manner of footwear, cameras fixed to eye sockets, jaws chomping on fresh cucumbers and barbecued meat. Despite this, it was quite easy to find trails that were less populated. Indeed, the first day was spent exploring the overgrown paths that meander through the forests to views of immense beauty.
The second day in Zhangjiajie marked the start of the hunt. Rising early, I made my way to the Golden Whip Stream Scenic Route, located in the southeast corner of the park. This region's main feature is a fast-flowing upland stream that gushes between the sandstone and quartz pinnacles. The area provides an ideal habitat for all manner of plant and invertebrate life and, I was reliably informed, is a former salamander stronghold.
The previous night there was heavy rain, and by the morning there was still a light drizzle falling from gray clouds. Unperturbed, I continued to walk along the stream's southern bank.
Despite the poor weather, the region was of great interest, especially from an ecological point of view. Each bank of the stream provided sites for a veritable botanical competition - indeed, over 3,000 floral species can be found here. Scrub-like mosses battled with ancient gray and yellow lichens for bare rock surfaces, while mushrooms loomed from fallen branches. These organisms were shadowed by the fronds of various ferns, themselves forming an understory for the spear-like stems of bamboo and shrubby rhododendrons. And above these were Asiatic oaks and other trees, which formed a dense canopy that occasionally broke, allowing the true giants, the stone pinnacles, to be viewed from their deep bases.
Dashed hopes
It was the water, however, that was my main interest, which not only provided a respite to the heat, but also allowed me to encounter the animals that live in conjunction with its rushing flow. Most observations, however, came not from inside the water at all, but above. Large bird-wing butterflies, jet-black in color with red or yellow rear wing markings, flaunted overhead, while metallic damselflies darted across the water's surface, their iridescent slender abdomens and turquoise flashing wings a glorious distraction. On the stream's surface, water-skaters slid across less turbulent sections, preying on invertebrates. And in the stream, fish tried to tackle the currents, the silver scales on their blade-shaped flanks occasionally catching the eye. Still, though, there was no sign of any salamander, although other amphibians, small olive-green frogs, hopped over patches of moist moss.
The cascading streams and miniature waterfalls, lush vegetation and great spires of sandstone found along the Golden Whip Stream created a beautiful vista. As the sun began to descend, the vast natural pillars to cast their long shadows across the park, and I reached the end point of the day's exploration. The result: still no sign of a salamander.
The following and final day in the park, I travelled to the northeastern region, which also provides the appropriate niche for this enigmatic animal. This second location is being eroded away by the Suo Stream; yet unlike the former site, it is more exposed and not shrouded in a cloak of vegetation. An inspection of the stream also proved fruitless and, unfortunately, had to be cut short due to adverse weather conditions. Rain thrashed down, lightning lit up the otherwise blackened sky and booms of thunder shook through the valleys. Even the souvenir sellers took cover. Hours past and still the rain fell. It became clear that there would be no opportunity to go back to the site, and soon the time came to leave the park and go back to Zhangjiajie City.
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