The white-headed langur [Photo/Guangxi Daily]

The white-headed langur, characterized by the white hair on their heads, is endemic to China and is spotted in the 200-square km karst hills between the Zuojiang and Mingjiang rivers in the city of Chongzuo, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

In the 1980s, the population of the species dropped to some 300 due to decades of deforestation, land reclamation and poaching.

To rescue the endangered primate species, In 2005, a regional-level nature reserve to protect the rare langurs was established in Chongzuo, and later it was upgraded into a national reserve. Regular inspections have been conducted by villagers to protect the species, and people also employed advanced technologies including unmanned aerial vehicles, infrared cameras, video surveillance and satellite remote sensing to monitor the langur groups.

Thanks to the joint efforts, white-headed langurs are much more frequently spotted. According to local authorities, law enforcement and ordered violators have been intensified to restore the land. The forest coverage of the reserve has risen from 70 percent to 86 percent compared to a decade ago. Currently, the population of the species has increased to over 1,300.