Have you ever seen a more human-like animal?
Not according to Dr Long Yongcheng, the Chinese primatologist who has spent 25 years studying, and working to conserve, Yunnan’s snub-nosed monkeys.
Until the 1960s, it was believed these primates, also known as golden monkeys, were extinct. But in the last 20 years, their numbers have doubled to an estimated 3000 (according to the Nature Conservancy) in protected parts of Yunnan’s forests, an area sometimes known as Shangri-la, on the edge of the Tibetan plateau.
Dr Long Yongcheng affectionately calls them ‘the snubbies’.
His research, alongside work from international primatologists including the University of Illinois’ Dr Paul Garber, has helped unlock clues to understanding their biology and behavior.
Typically, a family includes one adult male and as many females as he can attract, sometimes up-to 9! You can spot the male by the long hairs on its rump and also by its stature - he can be twice the size and triple the weight of his wife!
Inevitably, the family will also have offspring (a female gives birth every 2 or 3 years), which dad… passively accepts!
And yes, the babies are impossibly cute - watch Baby Bai learning to climb here:
• Baby Bai, the Snub-Nos...
Their biggest challenge is survival in the forest. Snub-nosed monkeys live at between 2800m and 4000m altitude - higher than any other monkey. It makes finding and securing water and fresh food a challenge. Nonetheless, they love nothing more than a slice of fresh lichen - which they eat 90 percent of the time - scraping and peeling it from rocks with their bare hands.
With their numbers having doubled in the last 20 years and passionate advocates like Dr Yongcheng and Dr Garber on their side, the snub-nosed monkeys’ chances are survival are stronger than ever.
For more insights and guides to China, SUBSCRIBE to our KZread Channel China Icons. Read more about the snub nosed monkeys on our BLOG at chinaicons.com/2016/10/05/sur...
You can find out more about the Nature Conservancy’s work with the snub-nosed monkeys here:
www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/...
Find out more about primatologists Dr Long Yongcheng and Dr Paul Garber here:
www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/...
www.clacs.illinois.edu/people/...
Join in the conversation on our Facebook site ChinaIcons
Get the latest news as it happens from our Twitter page
/ chinaicons
We're also on Instagram! Follow us for exclusive behind-the-scenes photography and more
china_icons