GOLDEN MONKEYS THRIVE IN GUIZHOU

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http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-02/19/content_4199454.htm

Golden monkeys quadruple but still endangered in Guizhou

 

www.chinaview.cn 2006-02-19 09:55:49

 

GUIYANG, Feb. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- The grey snub-nosed monkey, an

endangered species only found in the southwest China's Guizhou

Province, has quadrupled to around 800 over the past 20 years, said a

local official in charge of protection for the animal.

 

The monkey, the rarest among the three species of golden monkeys

in China's Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Hubei provinces, mainly lives in

the Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve in northeast Guizhou.

 

" We have acquired through research detailed data concerning the

number, clans, distribution and existence of the animal, " said Yang

Yeqin, director of the reserve, who participated in a decade-long

field investigation on the species.

 

The findings of the systematic research provide us with valuable

first-hand data for better preserving and protecting thisanimal, he

said.

 

Groups of the snub-nosed animal were not found by Chinese

scientists until early 1980s, when they estimated the number of the

animal was around 200.

 

The systematic field investigation, which began in 1987, lasted

more than ten years, under the instruction of the State Forestry

Administration.

 

Despite the growing numbers of the animal, the snub-nosed monkeys

are still faced with various threats from both human beings and

natural calamities, Yang warned.

 

Poaching and forest fires are two main factors that cause the

decrease of the animal, according to Yang.

 

As gregarious animals, the snub-nosed monkeys are vulnerable to

human diseases, such as tuberculosis, cholera and measles, which are

threatening the animal's existence.

 

Researchers held that the number of the snub-nosed monkey would

not rise rapidly even if their habitats were enlarged.

 

However, the number of the species would drop dramatically if

their habitats dwindle, which may lead to their extinction, said the

researchers.

 

To preserve the rare animal, it is necessary to extend the living

space of the animals and strengthen the monitoring and protection of

their living environment, wildlife experts said.

 

To establish a breeding base is another practical way to preserve

the species, said Yang. Enditem