China has established a nationwide protection network for the unique endangered species Yunnan golden monkey.

Xinhua News Agency, Kunming, July 15th (Reporter Zhao Peiran) On July 15th, the Yunnan Golden Monkey Protection Network was established in Shangri-La, Yunnan Province. The organization was established by Yunnan Forestry and Grassland Bureau in conjunction with a number of non-profit organizations, scientific research and non-governmental organizations to carry out related work to protect the endangered species Yunnan golden monkey.

Yunnan Golden Monkey Protection Network is the first attempt for Yunnan to establish a multi-party joint protection mechanism, build a cooperation platform of "protection priority, sustainable utilization, public participation and resource sharing", and focus on improving the patrol management of monkeys, population monitoring, habitat protection and restoration, research on conservation biology and ecological behavior, development and co-construction of friendly communities, and public publicity.

"Protecting the Yunnan golden monkey population and its habitat is of strategic significance for global biodiversity conservation in maintaining regional species and ecological balance." Xiao Wen, Dean of the East Himalayan Research Institute of Dali University, said that Yunnan golden monkey is a rare and endangered species unique to China, only distributed in a narrow area of about 20,000 square kilometers between Jinsha River and Lancang River, with a population of about 3,000. It is listed as a national first-class key protected animal, an endangered species in the Red List of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the highest primate in the world, and is called the "national treasure" of China like the giant panda.

Wang Weibin, deputy director of Yunnan Forestry and Grassland Bureau, said that he hoped that through the new forces such as Yunnan Golden Monkey National Protection Network, the wisdom of all parties would be gathered, and the protection ability would be improved in an all-round way with an open attitude and multi-linkage, so as to accumulate experience and set an example for the protection of China’s flagship species.

Wang Weibin introduced that Yunnan Province has successively established four protected areas, including Baima Snow Mountain, Yunlong Tianchi, Lanping Yunling and Lijiang Laojun Mountain, to protect Yunnan golden monkey and its habitat, with a total area of 478,000 hectares, which basically covered the concentrated distribution area of Yunnan golden monkey population. In addition, 990.66 hectares of Yunnan golden monkey habitat outside the protected areas were included in the protection scope, creating good conditions for the recovery and growth of Yunnan golden monkey population.