When the North American bighorn sheep males contend for mates, the banging sound of their horns colliding reverberates through the surrounding countryside and can be heard from as far as several miles away. According to scientists' estimations, the strength of the resulting force of collision can reach up to six tons! During the process of evolution, ram horns and bull horns have undergone radically different changes. Over time, the lethally sharp points of the ram horns have started twisting backwards in order to prevent stabbing and wounding a member of the same species in battle. This is because rams engage in fights too often. Some species go through rutting season twice a year which means that in one year they might contend for partners with dozens of rivals. The bull horns on the other hand act as an important weapon of self-defence. Over time they have started growing forwards, gradually turning into a mighty weapon that commands people's respect. The sheep are always seen as docile animals. Their connotation is similar to that of a dove. In ancient Chinese culture, the sheep is also equivalent to being weak and easily bullied.
The Chinese gorals' horns also twist backwards. Craftsmen that use ram and bull horns in craft making all know that ram horns are much more fragile but much harder than bull horns. It requires a great deal of time to cut them into slices or grind them. The sheep horns are never replaced. They are firmly connected to the skull and grow simultaneously with it. The older they get, the harder they become. This type of horn would rather break than bend.
At that moment we were separated from the gorals by about six metres. They were standing with their backs against the cliff face; we were crouching on the top of the cliff. Both parties were in equally precarious positions.
When I looked into their eyes, I suddenly felt a pang of coldness in the place of my tailbone that spread upwards along my spine all the way up to the back of my head. I have been studying birds for over ten years. I am now quite familiar with the terrible red glow in the eyes of birds of prey such as the saker falcon, the red-necked buzzard and the golden eagle when they are about to deliver the death blow to their prey.
Standing face-to-face with the alpha male goral, the expression in its eyes was identical.
I knew how good Jin Pao was with the gun. The barrel of his gun was rock steady in the wind, as if it was soldered to the two iron bars that were his hands. I did not even have to look at the eyes peering through the gunsight to know that at that moment they were cold as ice. In his life he had experienced too many close encounters with wild beasts for me to know that he would not hold back, not to mention it was just a mere goral standing in front of him. Good hunters are all like this: nothing makes them happier than slaying a prey. In contrast to this feeling of elation, all the suffering, misery and frustration that they went through to reach this goal comes to nothing. This is just how they are.
Jin Pao held his breath calmly, ready to strike fire. I don't know why but suddenly I stretched my hand out without thinking and pushed his gun down. "You must not shoot!" I snapped at him hoarsely. Jin Pao turned around to look at me. I will never forget the expression in his eyes at that moment.
Mr. Zhao was an expert at telling stories. My father also did a good job of making it exciting. Writing at this point, my hand cannot help but falter slightly.
Sometimes we might say or do something at a crucialmoment without being able to explain why we did it. It is only later that we gradually realise that at that moment it was our innermost nature governing our actions.
At that moment, a flash of murderous desire flickered in Jin Pao's eyes. It passed just as quickly as it came.
I gathered as much courage as I could and spoke out my second order: "Get down quickly, I am not going to let you shoot even if that means I die." With that I stretched out my hand out to grasp his gun and push it into the ground. I then started inching my way back.
He seemed as if in a trance for a moment. His fingers immediately slipped off the trigger and instead gripped the butt of the rifle. He involuntarily let himself be dragged backwards. He had to oblige because the muzzle was pointing directly at my left side.
"What are you doing?" He hissed at me angrily.
"Come on, move back quickly!" My tone was even more resolute.
Jin Pao unwillingly followed me in my retreat, still unable to tear his gaze away from the alpha male. I could tell from his expression that if it was up to him, he would definitely stay.
When you get into an encounter with wild animals, some people claim that rather than adapting a threatening position it is best to try not to provoke them into attack. You should make them feel like you are one of them, crouch down and slowly retreat out of danger. This is of no use if you are facing carnivorous animals, but it might work with herbivorous animals that have not yet launched an attack. I knew that I was taking a risk because all animals have a natural instinct of pursuing an attack. But this was what may be the last Chinese goral herd in Changbai Shan. They were as rare as the Manchurian tiger, the leopard or the griffon vulture. The Chinese gorals have long been overlooked by humans because the hermit-like Chinese goral can never be as well-known as that of the Manchurian tiger. It was only in 1982 that the Chinese goral was added to the list of second class protected animals.
Upon seeing us retreating, the alpha male started shaking its head from side to side, puffing loudly. It beated the ground violently with its front hooves. When its hooves stroke the hard boulder surface, they let off a drum-like explosive sound that made my ears tingle. It was trying to intimidate us. There are many related species of high mountain animals that employ this method. It was also a sign that it would not launch an offensive attack.
