A baby Yunnan snub-nosed monkey was born in Kunming Institute of Zoology (KIZ), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on February 28, 2009, adding a third member to the second generation of the artificially bred animals.
Another baby monkey was born on February 24, 2008. A female monkey in this sub-population is also expecting a baby.
Yunnan snub-nosed monkey lives in high-altitude evergreen forests between 3000 - 4500 m. French scientists first reported its existence in 1890's. Zoologists was not able to confirm its existence until 1962.
Recent surveys suggest there are 15 isolated sub-populations located in five counties in Yunnan Province and Tibet Autonomous Region. Yet it remains on the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as one of the most endangered species.
Its population is fragmented, and geographic features make it impossible for breeding exchange between the 15 sub-populations.
KIZ zoologists had been doing research on the distribution, heredity, behavioral ecology, and molecular evolution of Yunnan snub-nosed monkey since 1980s, and had been raising them in captivity. They also took systematic measures to tame, manage, and breed the monkeys. The newly-born monkey signifies a big step in the efforts of saving the cute creature.
Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkey (Photo by Xi Zhinong)
