Rangers maintain family tradition of service

Decades-long mission continues to protect snub-nosed monkeys

In the heart of the Baihe National Nature Reserve, nestled in Jiuzhaigou county, the Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture in Sichuan province, approximately 1,700 wild Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys find joy in their natural habitat. Watching over them day and night are dedicated rangers.

At the forefront of this conservation effort is team leader Tang Yulin, 56, of the Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey Research and Monitoring Center at the Taiping Protection Station in the reserve. His family has a longstanding connection to the reserve — his granduncle, Tang Guoshun, was among the first staff members when the reserve was established in 1963, followed by his father, Tang Daigui. Inspired by their commitment to protecting the monkeys, Tang Yulin vowed to continue their legacy. 

In 1990, aged just 22, Tang Yulin fulfilled his dream of becoming a third-generation forest ranger in the reserve. In the initial years of his work, the reserve lacked electricity, and the rugged mountain terrain made patrols physically demanding. Rising at 3:30 am every day, Tang Yulin would prepare his meals in darkness before heading up the mountains at 4 am to observe and document the activities and habits of the golden snub-nosed monkeys before they awoke.

Spending nearly 200 days and nights in the mountains each year, Tang Yulin and his colleagues often had to improvise shelters when unable to descend the same day. Through years of observation and learning, he became an expert on the reserve's flora and fauna, serving as a valuable resource for researchers working in the area. 

Following the development of infrastructure in the reserve in recent years, Tang Yulin's patrols have become more manageable. The golden snub-nosed monkeys have also grown accustomed to closer human interaction, with more than 140 research monkeys successfully relocated to lower-altitude areas near rivers, where they now thrive.

Today, the reserve boasts the highest density of these monkeys in the country, making it a prime location for observing them in the wild. Inspired by Tang Yulin's dedication, his nephew Tang Xiaogang joined the ranks of forest rangers in 2019, becoming a fourth-generation guardian of the lush mountains and its monkeys.

"As the monkeys feast on leaves in the trees, and I snack on biscuits below, a bond of trust has formed between us. Seeing the golden snub-nosed monkeys thrive here is the greatest honor for me," Tang Yulin says, reflecting on his work. 

In the misty mountains, Tang Yulin and his fellow guardians are pillars of conservation, ensuring the harmony between nature and humanity endures for generations to come.