A rare Guizhou snub-nosed monkey named "Xiao Fan" gave birth to a baby on March 21 in southwest China's Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve, the administration of the reserve announced on Friday.

The baby monkey is in sound health and is the fourth baby "Xiao Fan" has had in the past eight years, according to the reserve administration.

Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys, or Guizhou golden monkeys, are exclusively nestled within the expanse of Mount Fanjingshan, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. They're under top-level protection in China and are listed as a "critically endangered" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

According to Yang Wei, head of the reserve's Guizhou snub-nosed monkey research center, the monkey's breeding period was shortened from three years to two at the center.

Among the three species of golden snub-nosed monkeys endemic to China, the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey is the one that is least known about and has both the smallest population and the narrowest habitat.

The population of these rare monkeys has grown to roughly 800. At present, nine Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys live at the research center, according to data from the reserve administration.