11 Animals Celebrating Singles Day

November 11th is Singles Day in China, and to celebrate, we’re featuring 11 animals, all native to China, enjoying their solitary time, or “singledom.” Many of these species are endangered, so to help them out, we’re spreading the word about the Nature_org community on WeChat. If there’s one single thing you should do on Singles Day to help the environment, it’s this: follow Nature_org on Wechat. For each new sign-up through the end of the year, WeChat USA will donate $5 to The Nature Conservancy, for up to one to $1 million in support. These funds will help support projects such as saving the mysterious Yunnan golden monkey found in the remote forests of southwestern China. Through this partnership, The Nature Conservancy is building the largest conservation community on WeChat. http://nature.ly/1tTCC5p

Giant Panda

Nick Hall

Giant Pandas, like this one from the Sichuan Province, are solitary by nature. Adults enjoy their alone time so much that they create defined territories for themselves and only mate once a year. The Nature Conservancy is working in China to restore forests in this panda's habitat – a project that will reverse the damage from deforestation and provide significant help to this endangered species.

Yunnan Golden Monkey

Long Yongcheng/The Nature Conservancy

Although they spend much of their lives in small family groups, the Yunnan Golden Monkey pictured here is hanging out alone in a tree, where this species commonly finds its food. Found deep in the remote forests of southwestern China, the Yunnan Golden Monkey is one of the most endangered primates on Earth. The Conservancy has launched a program to protect this legendary species, the biology and behavior of which scientists are just beginning to understand.

Asian Black Bear

Shankar S. / Via Flickr: shankaronline

A largely solitary being, the Asian Black Bear is pictured here in a reflective pose. The Conservancy is working to protect this animal in China through programs like the Sichuan Province Land Trust Reserve, employing cutting-edge methods of land conservation that help to preserve the bear's natural habitat.

Chinese Alligator

Mark Dumont / Via Flickr: wcdumonts

Typically a solitary species, the Chinese Alligator is in grave danger of disappearing altogether. This species finds its home in China's Yangtze River, upon which 400 million people depend for freshwater. The Conservancy is working on programs to minimize harm to the river's aquatic ecosystems, such as creating sustainable solutions for the design and operation of dams.

Finless Porpoise

Kenichi Nobusue / Via Flickr: nobusue

Featured here in a rare solitary moment, the Finless Porpoise is often a more social creature, and can be found swimming in small groups in China's Yangtze River. But the Yangtze Finless Porpoise is an endangered species, and the Conservancy hopes to protect its population through projects that minimize harm to the river's ecosystems.

Snow Leopard

Marie Hale / Via Flickr: 15016964@N02

The Snow Leopard, mysterious and solitary by nature, is difficult for predators to detect. But hunting and habitat destruction have caused this species to become endangered.

Asian Elephant

Shankar S. / Via Flickr: shankaronline

While adult females and their young typically stick together, adult male Asian Elephants tend to be solitary creatures. Despite strides to prohibit poaching in China and a recent positive trend of population growth in Yunnan Province, issues such as loss of habitat have kept these magnificent animals on the endangered species list.

Takin

Sam Howzit / Via Flickr: aloha75

While Takins are often found in groups, older males of this goat-antelope species prefer time alone. They, too, are endangered in China due to habitat destruction and hunting.

Golden Pheasant

Via Flickr: merec0

The Golden Pheasant is another species that finds shelter thanks to the Sichuan Province Land Trust Reserve. Hard to spot in its dark, dense, forested natural habitat, there remains a lot to learn about the way the Golden Pheasant behaves in the wild.

Eurasian Lynx

Tom Bech / Via Flickr: viatorius

This Eurasian Lynx is pictured during a rare daytime hunt. These cats, solitary as adults, are primarily nocturnal, only venturing out during the day when food is scarce.

Chinese Sturgeon

Shankar S. / Via Flickr: shankaronline

This critically endangered species finds its home in the Yangtze River, where the Conservancy is running programs to help the ecosystem. Its population is in serious trouble due to threats to its habitat, including pollution and overfishing.