A group of tourists visiting the Laohougou Nature Reserve in the Mianyang area of the Giant Panda National Park, which spans the provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu, recently had a rare surprise – a close-up encounter with a takin, a national first-class protected animal. The animal was spotted at about 1,200 meters above sea level, calmly grazing by the roadside. Instead of running away, the takin looked curiously into the camera, showing its gentle and funny side.

The takin is often called the "Six-Unlike" because it looks a bit like a cow, a sheep and several other animals all at once. In recent years, with stronger ecological protection in the Giant Panda National Park, rare species like the takin and wild pandas have been appearing more often – a clear sign of a thriving natural environment.