Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys

Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys

　　　　Deep in the mountains of the Qinling range in Shaanxi Province lives the golden snub-nosed monkey, a Class I protected animal in China. Among the various types of golden snub-nosed monkeys, this group is particularly unique. These monkeys typically inhabit mixed coniferous and broadleaf forests at high altitudes of 2,000 to 3,000 meters, living in groups and feeding on wild fruits, tender shoots, and leaves.

　　　　The Qinling Mountains mark the northernmost limit of the golden snub-nosed monkey’s distribution in China. The golden snub-nosed monkeys living in the Qinling range of Shaanxi are the most well-known, classified in zoology as the Qinling population of the Sichuan subspecies. These monkeys live in remote habitats and have specialized diets, making them extremely difficult to keep alive if their environment is altered. Currently, apart from a few dozen individuals kept in some zoos within China, no foreign zoos have successfully bred or exhibited them.