On April 26th, 2019, Shennongjia Golden Snub-nosed Monkey Conservation Foundation registered by Shennongjia UNESCO Global Geopark(UGGp) was established. The first donations from enterprises and individuals, with a total amount of about 600 thousand U.S. dollars, will be used for the conservation and research on the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey population and the bio-diversity in Shennongjia UGGp. 

Press Conference on the Establishment of the Foundation 

Mr. Liu Qijun, Mayor of Shennongjia Forestry District and Director General of the Administration of Shennongjia National Park, addressed the unveiling ceremony. He said that the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey of Shennongjia (Rhinopithecus roxellana hubeiensis), as a primate species endemic to China and a national first-class protected rare and endangered species, is the flagship species of Shennongjia’s biodiversity conservation; As a sub-species of Sichuan Snub-nosed Monkey, the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey of Shennongjia plays an important role in the evolution history of species, and the conservation of its population is significant for the conservation of the genetic diversity of the species of Sichuan Snub-nosed Monkey. 

The Chinese government as well as domestic and international conservation organizations and research institutes have made active contributions to the conservation of the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey of Shennongjia. It is a common wish of all human to well protect the species and realize the harmony between Human and nature. However, the conservation of the species is a long-lasting hard task requiring participation of the whole society. For this purpose, Shennongjia UGGp established the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey Conservation Foundation to build a platform to gather the strength and love of enterprises and individuals for better conservation of the species.

Mr. Wang Wenhua, Deputy Director General of the Administration of Shennongjia National Park, said when hosting the unveiling ceremony that, the establishment of the Foundation is an action of Shennongjia UGGp to establish a financing system with diversified modes and sources, with the aim of gathering more strengths to protect the bio-diversity of Shennongjia UGGp.

Mr. Wang Wenhua, Deputy Director General of Shennongjia UGGp Hosting the Ceremony 

According to Mr. Chen Zongrong, the Council Chairman of the Foundation, the fund raised will be used for publicity, education, capacity building and science research for the conservation of the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey and the bio-diversity in Shennongjia UGGp, and the first project of the Foundation, Survey on Trans-regional Snub-nosed Monkey Populations, will be launched soon.

Representatives from donating enterprises and individuals with leaders of Shennongjia UGGp 

Shennongjia is well known around the world for its high bio-diversity. The Golden Snub-nosed Monkey was discovered in Shennongjia in 1980, and in 2004 the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey Research Base was established for systematic research and conservation of the species. Since then the population of the species has been growing steadily from about 500 to more than 1,300.