#XingXing

[skynapple]

Xavier Myth Master Post

I'll be uploading as I obtain the myth parts so please reblog/save this post for reference!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9 (uploaded 02/07)

{Compete}

[nocandnc]

Cosplayed Jiujiu from Raven of the Inner Palace this year!!

I also made a Xingxing plush with a zipper pocket to hold all my important items ✨

[naughtynanzhu]

XZG 520 Livestream

[bignosebaby]

are you familiar with XingXing the one armed temple macaque?

I am, and to be honest I have very mixed feelings about her situation.

I have been vocal about how it is wrong and unethical to keep primates as pets, how feeding wildlife is harmful, and how human/primate interactions are dangerous for both parties. XingXing is an interesting case, as she does not fit perfectly into the categories I have talked about.

XingXing is not a pet, and is able to free roam. I have been told that XingXing decides how to spend her time and will often go into the forest for days at a time. She is fed by people, but only a few who are trusted to do so, who she has ongoing relationships with. Additionally, she has a trauma history that means that she would struggle in the wild if left entirely alone.

In complex cases like this it is easy to say that she should live at a sanctuary. Of course animals living in the wild is ideal, but most people agree that if that is not possible that a sanctuary or zoo should care for them. The reality is more challenging, as sanctuaries are in high demand and need a lot of support. They are typically underfunded and rely on the labour of volunteers, and while they would love to care for every animal in need it is simply not possible. Additionally, major changes can be detrimental for animals especially if they have trauma histories. As such I feel that if XingXing is able to live well where she is, her comfort should be prioritized.

That being said, I feel that there should be some improvements made to her lifestyle and the way it is documented. While being fed may be necessary if she is unable to forage for herself, she appears to be quite overweight. While humans can be a pretty wide range of sizes and still healthy, other species have much narrower ranges of healthy sizes and XingXing's size may be detrimental to her health and activity level. The woman who cares for her is elderly and may not be able to encourage her to be more active, but despite XingXing's diet appearing to be not bad health wise (mostly fruit from what I have seen) I think cutting down on the sweets and adding more leafy greens could be good for her both in helping her lose weight and encouraging her to forage for her own food as much as possible.

The only major issue I have with XingXing is her social media presence. She is very cute and charismatic, but seeing her being fed and pet by people can be detrimental to her species and other monkeys in the long term. People who see monkeys being treated like pets even if they are not pets are likely to get the idea that monkeys are safe, friendly, and even adoptable. A caretaker for a macaque that requires supplemental snacks giving her a banana and a tourist giving a wild macaque a banana to bribe it to pose for a picture can look virtually identical on social media. Increasingly, social media accounts for accredited sanctuaries are adding disclaimers or even not posting photos or videos that show staff touching the animals altogether to avoid making it look like the animals could be pets.

XingXing is lovely and I hope that she is well taken care of and active, but I also worry that people who see photos and videos of her will get the wrong idea on appropriate human/primate interactions.

[dimens1ons]

[plasmon-gif-factory]

[honeyhobbs]

Does tumblr like xing xing I actually don't know

[is-the-primate-vid-cute]

https://instagram.com/xing.xing.monkey?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

What are your thoughts on xingxing?

My thoughts: 👎👎👎

❌️ overweight animal

❌️ unprotected contact

❌️ inappropriate foods

❌️Depriving the animal of a natural life

Xingxing is some kind of mix between pet and exploited entertainer:

Primates are not pets! Primates include apes, monkeys, and lemurs, all of whom are complex and intelligent creatures that have high standards for meeting their needs. A primate being kept as a pet is never okay, even if the owner claims that it is a rescue animal or that it is perfectly taken care of. Primates deserve lives that mimic life in the wild as close as possible and prioritize their relationships with members of their own species instead of humans. If you see a primate wearing clothes, in someone’s house, or interacting with a person without clear physical boundaries, these are telltale signs of pet ownership. We encourage everyone to stay vigilant against sharing content of pet primates.

Primates are not employees. Primates should not be used in the entertainment industry as actors and the like. We support responsible depictions of primates in media and the use of special and practical effects to portray primates so they can be left alone in the wild. We have answered many asks about primates in media, and would be happy to weigh in on primate portrayals you have seen, fictional or otherwise.

[beastie-anon]

not sure if it's too late for this, but would you draw chaoxing lai (from daybreak) in her lovestruck skin? if you do this thanks i love seeing art of her!!

Don't worry!! It's open now and until this fire dies out B) feel free to request more!

[stardust-falling]

You who longed so much for existence that you created a false one... ... and I, who sought nothing more than to erase my own, but failed. In the end, all we could change was memory, not reality.

Caribert + Wanderer

[pouroverpaloma]

Anyway here’s my neighborhood diner’s very fat cat dressed up for Election Day

[nocandnc]

something something

parallels

something something

contrast

[naughtynanzhu]

XZG Studio Weibo 2024.04.27

[gorillawithautism]

personally i think that while it may not be a good idea for xingxing to live at a sanctuary, there should be more collaboration with a sanctuary.

you're right that moving an animal with trauma history to a sanctuary needs to be done carefully because that big change could serve to further traumatize them, especially because it's very difficult if not impossible to do so in a way that involves consent on the animal's part. i think typically animal rescue is done for animals that are in an actively traumatizing situation and bringing them to a sanctuary is an end to that trauma rather than a new traumatic experience. sanctuary life itself of course isn't traumatic but moving her to one would mean taking xingxing away from the people she's come to consider family.

besides, there's always the question of cost as well. the people caring for her currently clearly have the means to feed her, and the fact is that sanctuaries need to consider what it means financially for them to take on another mouth to feed. i don't know if they get donations from their social media presence or if paying for xingxings care is a community effort or if the people caring for her are just have enough of their own money (frankly that's not really a detail i care about), but moving her to a sanctuary could mean no longer having access to those funds and that's also something any sanctuary would have to consider when thinking about taking her in.

all that said, i agree that there are problems with her care. i would agree that my main issue is the way she's presented on social media and honestly i think that presentation is why she's so popular. but i think that as well as questions about her diet could be solved if there were more regular input from a professional. if her current carers could routinely discuss with a professional that regularly works with macaques i think they could make a lot of progress. and i think that such a well known social media presence could be a great tool for activism as well. a change in xingxings presentation while still maintaining all the cuteness(? or whatever it is that draws people to her account) could set a huge example for how we should be presenting (or not presenting) primates online. to me, collaboration with professionals and in turn being vocal about that collaboration and the changes that come from that collaboration would be a great opportunity for wider discussion online around primate conservation.

are you familiar with XingXing the one armed temple macaque?

I am, and to be honest I have very mixed feelings about her situation.

I have been vocal about how it is wrong and unethical to keep primates as pets, how feeding wildlife is harmful, and how human/primate interactions are dangerous for both parties. XingXing is an interesting case, as she does not fit perfectly into the categories I have talked about.

XingXing is not a pet, and is able to free roam. I have been told that XingXing decides how to spend her time and will often go into the forest for days at a time. She is fed by people, but only a few who are trusted to do so, who she has ongoing relationships with. Additionally, she has a trauma history that means that she would struggle in the wild if left entirely alone.

In complex cases like this it is easy to say that she should live at a sanctuary. Of course animals living in the wild is ideal, but most people agree that if that is not possible that a sanctuary or zoo should care for them. The reality is more challenging, as sanctuaries are in high demand and need a lot of support. They are typically underfunded and rely on the labour of volunteers, and while they would love to care for every animal in need it is simply not possible. Additionally, major changes can be detrimental for animals especially if they have trauma histories. As such I feel that if XingXing is able to live well where she is, her comfort should be prioritized.

That being said, I feel that there should be some improvements made to her lifestyle and the way it is documented. While being fed may be necessary if she is unable to forage for herself, she appears to be quite overweight. While humans can be a pretty wide range of sizes and still healthy, other species have much narrower ranges of healthy sizes and XingXing's size may be detrimental to her health and activity level. The woman who cares for her is elderly and may not be able to encourage her to be more active, but despite XingXing's diet appearing to be not bad health wise (mostly fruit from what I have seen) I think cutting down on the sweets and adding more leafy greens could be good for her both in helping her lose weight and encouraging her to forage for her own food as much as possible.

The only major issue I have with XingXing is her social media presence. She is very cute and charismatic, but seeing her being fed and pet by people can be detrimental to her species and other monkeys in the long term. People who see monkeys being treated like pets even if they are not pets are likely to get the idea that monkeys are safe, friendly, and even adoptable. A caretaker for a macaque that requires supplemental snacks giving her a banana and a tourist giving a wild macaque a banana to bribe it to pose for a picture can look virtually identical on social media. Increasingly, social media accounts for accredited sanctuaries are adding disclaimers or even not posting photos or videos that show staff touching the animals altogether to avoid making it look like the animals could be pets.

XingXing is lovely and I hope that she is well taken care of and active, but I also worry that people who see photos and videos of her will get the wrong idea on appropriate human/primate interactions.

[pinkrose05]

Excuse me as I curl up in a corner and cry

[plasmon-gif-factory]

Just Jiang brother things!