Guiyang (China), Sep 6 (Xinhua) The number of wild snub-nosed monkeys, an endangered species found only in China’s southwestern Guizhou province, has more than doubled to around 850 over the past three decades, officials said. The monkey, the rarest among the three species of golden monkeys found in China, mainly lives in the 419-sq-km mountainous Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve in Guizhou.

Thanks to the steady improvement of the environment and government protection measures. the number of these monkeys has risen to around 850 compared with 400 in 1979, according to officials of the nature reserve.

The monkey’s reproductive cycle is three to six years. It is on the list of China’s most endangered wild animals.

Since 1992, the officials of the nature reserve have successfully bred 16 such monkeys in captivity under a special programme.