In a village in Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Yunnan Province, many of its residents turned from hunters to wildlife rangers in a government conservation initiative to protect the endangered golden snub-nosed monkeys.

Golden snub-nosed monkey is one of the most endangered animal species in the world and is currently under China's top-class state protection.

In Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve, an estimated 3,000 members of a golden snub-nosed monkey subspecies live here, according to local government.

Xianggujing Village is one of the dozens of villages in the reserve. In the past, many of its villagers were hunters, but now, under a government wildlife protection plan, they have a new role as rangers.

Paid by the local government, a ranger team patrols the forests in the reserve every day to monitor the activities of these endangered animals.

Now, the team is also engaged in afforestation using around 300,000 saplings provided by the local government this year.

Xianggujing is not alone. Dozens of other villages in the reserve are making the same effort to protect wildlife and the environment there.

(Cover image via VCG)

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