Deep in the misty Mount Fanjing in southwest China's Guizhou Province, Yang Wei, a young veterinarian, has spent six years communicating with one of the world's rarest primates, the Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys, growing very close to these mysterious creatures.

Also known as the gray snub-nosed monkey, the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey is a national first-class protected wild animal in China, and is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with all of its wild population living on Mount Fanjing, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site.

Supported by technology-driven conservation projects and dedicated minds like Yang, the local administration is ramping up efforts to protect the endangered forest residents, realizing China's commitment to harmonious human-nature coexistence in its fast-developing province.

Yang said only around 850 of the Guizhou snub-nosed monkeys are roaming in the mountains.

After receiving his master's degree at Guizhou University, Yang returned home in 2020 to help save the monkeys, and now works as head of the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey research center of the Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve Administration.

"I want to do something to protect such an elegant and precious species in my hometown," he said.

At the research center, a crucial part of Yang's job was redesigning enclosures for rescued monkeys – this is to mimic their natural habitat, thus increasing the survival rate of rescued wild monkeys.

With six years of experience and optimization, his approach has yielded inspiring results: every rescued monkey brought to the enclosures for care has survived.

Yang said that in the wild, female monkeys usually give birth once every three years. At the center, with scientific caring programs, they can give birth to robust babies every two years, and there are now four rescued and five center-born monkeys living in the facility, he added.

But the real challenge is monitoring and protecting snub-nosed monkeys in the wild, an area in which China's evolving technologies can help Yang and his colleagues.

According to Yang, the administration has installed seven video surveillance systems in the monkeys' core activity region, along with dozens of infrared cameras along fixed patrol routes.

Drones and ground patrols were also applied to fill the gaps between these areas, providing for detailed records of their living conditions and discouraging possible poachers.

Outside the forest, 14 ecological corridors have been built along the road that circles the mountain. These passages separate human traffic from monkey migration routes, allowing the animals to move safely among feeding sites and sleeping areas.

"We planted trees and shrubs that they like to eat along the corridors, now large groups are using them – that means they are adapting to our modifications," Yang said.

Li Jiuhua, a 62-year-old forest ranger on Mount Fanjing, said he has seen a comeback of the snub-nosed monkeys and other wild animals over the past few years.

"Sometimes I saw several monkey groups in a single day," he said, adding that he has also spotted rare birds including the golden pheasant.

Back in Mount Fanjing, the local government has invested more than 46 million yuan (about $6.8 million) in a new conservation center for the monkeys, which includes 15 enclosures, an animal hospital, a laboratory and storage for food preparation, and has started trial operations in April 2026.

Yang Ni, deputy director of the nature reserve's administration, said that the new facility will focus on the breeding, research and education of the monkeys.

"We want to bring in more experts, train local staff and share our work with the world," she added.