[Explanation] During the Spring Festival holiday, the White-headed Langur National Nature Reserve in Chongzuo, Guangxi, which is located on the border of China and Vietnam, has a lot of happy events for the monkeys.
Winter and spring are the peak birth periods for the rare species of white-headed langur, and many new members have been added recently.
Walking into the reserve, you can see white-headed langurs playing and resting on the cliff like no one else.
The white hairs on the top of the adult monkey's head are particularly conspicuous, while the newborn cubs are golden all over.
[Explanation] The narrow karst area of about 200 square kilometers in Chongzuo City is the only habitat of the white-headed langur in the world, and its population is extremely endangered.
In the 1980s, a large number of humans opened up wasteland and destroyed the food source of the white-headed langur. In addition to hunting and other reasons, the number of white-headed langurs was only about 300 at one time.
[Explanation] Xu Yidong is a villager in Badantun within the protected area. More than 10 mu of slope land in his home was once used to grow sugar cane.
At the call of the local government, he withdrew from sugarcane planting in 2017, and instead planted the plants that white-headed langurs love to eat, such as apple trees, mulberry trees, and kapok trees.
[Concurrent] Xu Yidong, a forest ranger of the White-headed Langur National Nature Reserve in Chongzuo, Guangxi
Monkeys used to be afraid of people when they saw people, but now monkeys like people when they see people. After more than 30 years of protection, monkeys and people have developed a friendly and harmonious thought, so now monkeys are basically not afraid of people. You can see monkeys going down the mountain every day foraging.
[Explanation] At present, the reserve has built more than 700 acres of food source forest and more than 10 new drinking water points for white-headed langurs.
50 villagers serve as forest rangers, patrolling their respective jurisdictions more than 3 times a week, and at the same time 24-hour video monitoring of key monkey groups and human activities.
In recent years, villages around the reserve have issued village rules and regulations, and the whole village has jointly participated in the protection of white-headed langurs.
[Explanation] Since 2019, Chongzuo City has invested more than 110 million yuan in the restoration of the habitat of white-headed langurs and the construction of management and protection capabilities in protected areas.
Local legislation is also in place to protect the habitat of white-headed langurs.
Wan Chongxing, deputy director of the Chongzuo Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee who participated in the legislative work, introduced that the white-headed langur is the first primate discovered and named by the Chinese. It is China's ecological business card and protects the white-headed langur in this land. It is of great significance to thrive.
[Concurrent] Wan Chongxing, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Chongzuo City, Guangxi
The white-headed langur has a great characteristic. It only eats leaves. It is very different from macaques for crops, such as pumpkins. It does not eat pumpkins or corn. It does not harm crops. White-headed langurs are not like humans. The harmony degree is quite high, and the local people like white-headed langurs very much.
Now through legislative protection, especially the protection of slopes (slopes), it can be said that the food source of the white-headed langur is protected. It should be said that (food) is not a problem for their future reproduction.
[Explanation] Li Liang, Director of the Legal Work Committee of the Standing Committee of the Chongzuo Municipal People's Congress, introduced that after full research, China's first primate habitat protection regulations-"Chongzuo City White-headed Langur Habitat Protection Regulations" was promulgated and will be released in 2021. come into force.
The regulations expand the scope of protection. In addition to the original white-headed langur national nature reserve, the government also plans to add new habitats for white-headed langurs to meet the needs of their growing population.
At the same time, the government will do a good job in agricultural industry planning, so that farmers can increase their income and reduce the situation of "human-monkey competition for land".
[Concurrent] Li Liang, director of the Legal Work Committee of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of Chongzuo City, Guangxi
From the photos and videos taken by the photographers, the distance between humans and monkeys can be said to be (can reach) within one meter. Monkeys don’t feel any fright at us. I don't feel that they are in danger. Although we (only legislate) protect one species, as an umbrella protection, other species under the umbrella are also greatly protected, including wild animals and birds, etc. All are well protected.
[Explanation] From "competing for land with monkeys" to "taking pride in monkeys", the population of white-headed langurs has now reached 157 groups, and the number has recovered to more than 1,400.
In 2022, the protection of white-headed langurs in Chongzuo, Guangxi was selected as an "Excellent Case of Biodiversity" by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China.
[Explanation] With the "prosperity of monkeys", the first Spring Festival after the optimization of China's epidemic prevention and control policy, this protected area in the southwestern border attracts tourists and wildlife photographers from all over the world to feel the harmonious coexistence between man and nature .
Reported by Lin Yanhua, Wang Yizhao, Huang Lingyan, Chongzuo, Guangxi
Responsible editor: [Li Ji]