The Youth | Meet the young caretaker of the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey

For Wang Jin, a young caretaker at the Guizhou Snub-nosed Monkey Research Center under Mount Fanjing National Nature Reserve Administration in southwest China's Guizhou Province, the job may seem simple: heading into the mountains each morning to collect fresh leaves, preparing fruits and vegetables for the monkeys, and monitoring their feeding habits, daily activities and health conditions.

But when it comes to a species with only about 850 individuals remaining in the world, the work is anything but simple. Known as the "only child of the Earth," the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey is found exclusively in the forests of Mount Fanjing. Protecting them involves far more than feeding and daily care, it is a race against time to ensure the survival of a critically endangered species.

Wang knows each monkey's personality by heart. He can tell which ones are more dominant, which are likely to be bullied away from food, and which require extra attention. To make sure one monkey, Qianbao, gets enough to eat, he sometimes has to separate her from the stronger Kangkang during feeding time.

Day after day, through feeding, observation and companionship, Wang witnesses one of the most genuine and precious connections between humans and nature amid the misty Mount Fanjing. For him, this work is no longer just a job, it is a responsibility.

Today, local conservation efforts include captive breeding programs, ecological corridor construction and around-the-clock intelligent monitoring systems, all helping to create a safer future for the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey.

"Our work is not only about protecting the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey," Wang said, "It is also about safeguarding the rich and unique biodiversity of Mount Fanjing, and ensuring that the story of harmony between humans and nature continues to be written."