Rare leaf monkey babies arrive in sanctuary

A group of Francois' langurs, also known as Francois' leaf monkeys, was spotted with six babies in Mayanghe National Nature Reserve in Yanhe county, Southwest China's Guizhou province, in December.

According to Yan Xiugang, a manager for the reserve, 10 Francois' langurs live in Houwang Cave and added two other babies, also in December. Another group received four — a first for the reserve.

The young monkeys have fluffy golden fur in their first few months. As they grow, the fluff darkens.

Thanks to a series of protective measures, the number of Francois' langurs in the reserve has steadily increased in recent years. There are currently more than 554 of them.

Francois' langurs are one of China's most endangered wild animals and are under the highest national-level protection. Currently, only about 2,000 wild Francois' langurs live worldwide. Of those, 1,500 live in China. More than 850 are found in nature reserves in Tongren, Zunyi and Liupanshui in Guizhou province.

Wang Jin contributed to this story.