Since the early 2000’s I have been collaborating with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dr. Li Yiming on a field study of Chinese golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellanae) in Shennongjia Nature Reserve, China. This is an endangered, beauitiful colobine monkey, about 1,200 of which live in the rugged mountains of Shennongjia. R. roxellanaeis unusual among primates for living in very large groups (our study group is about 130, and some groups reach 300), in a harsh environment with cold, snowy winters. Li Yiming worked there for many years, and my Ph.D. student Liu Xuecong is conducting his doctoral work there on the influence of the availability and distribution of plant foods on the grouping patterns of the monkeys.
Publications
Li, Y., C.B. Stanford, and Y. Yuhui.
Winter feeding tree choice in Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellanae) in Shennongjia Nature Reserve, China. International Journal of Primatology 23: 657-676.(in 2002).[pdf]
This work has been support by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese government, and the Jane Goodall Research Center of the University of Southern California.