A golden monkey holds her baby at the Beijing Zoo on April 27, 2016. The monkey baby met the public for the first time on Wednesday. The golden monkeys are under top state-level protection in China. [Photo: ifeng.com]
A newly-born golden monkey met its fans for the first time at the Beijing Zoo on Wednesday.
The little monkey is seen as a precious gift by zoologists, as its family is of a breed of the endangered primates known as the Guizhou Golden Monkeys. The animals got the name from their habitat in southwest China's Guizhou Province.
The breed's population is around 750 globally. Only four of them are living in captivity.
Like the giant pandas, the monkeys are placed under top state-level protection in China.
Golden monkeys play with a new-born baby at Dalongtan Golden Monkey Research Center in Shennongjia, central China's Hubei Province, on April 28, 2016. The number of golden monkeys in Shennongjia has doubled since the 1980s thanks to the environmental protection. [Photo: Xinhua/Du Huaju]
A golden monkey takes care of a new-born baby at Dalongtan Golden Monkey Research Center in Shennongjia, central China's Hubei Province, on April 28, 2016. The number of golden monkeys in Shennongjia has doubled since the 1980s thanks to the environmental protection. [Photo: Xinhua/Du Huaju]
A new-born golden monkey stays in its mom's arms at Dalongtan Golden Monkey Research Center in Shennongjia, central China's Hubei Province, on April 28, 2016. The number of golden monkeys in Shennongjia has doubled since the 1980s thanks to the environmental protection. [Photo: Xinhua/Du Huaju]
