Habitat evaluation and conservation framework of the newly discovered and critically endangered black snub-nosed monkey

Abstract

The black snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri) is an IUCN-Critically Endangered primate, recently discovered on the northern Sino-Myanmar border. In order to identify the most urgent gaps in the conservation of the black snub-nosed monkey, a hierarchical process was employed to predict the distribution and alterations in its habitat over the past 15years. Our study showed that R. strykeri appeared to inhabit a range from E98°20′–98°50′, N25°40′–26°50′, including high quality habitat at 1420km2, medium quality habitat at 750km2, and low quality habitats at 1410km2. Only 21.1% of the total habitat for R. strykeri is within protected areas in China. Approximately 2.6% of the entire habitat has been lost in the past 15years, 96% of which has been in Myanmar. To save this species from extinction, it is urgent to establish trans-boundary conservation and management networks to address the loss of habitat, and to locate and preserve key wildlife corridors to link fragmented habitats between Myanmar and China.