Last month, near a winding mountain road in Guizhou province, tourists encountered several families of inquisitive Francois' leaf monkeys.

The playful monkeys were observed standing near a roadside railing in Yanhe Tujia autonomous county, Tongren city, making eye contact with passersby or jumping onto cars and curiously peering at the occupants inside.

Forest ranger Xiao Zhijin said there are currently 72 wild Francois' leaf monkey, or Francois' langur, groups living in the Mayang River National Nature Reserve in Guizhou. The population is estimated at over 700 individuals. The monkeys often appear in villages and along the highways, occasionally engaging in spontaneous interaction with people.

"Black leaf monkeys are skilled climbers. But unlike other monkeys that live in trees, they prefer to sleep in caves at night. Every morning, they emerge from their caves and send out scouts to explore the surroundings. The dominant male selects a route and leads the family up the mountain to find food, returning to the cave to rest in the evening," explained Xiao.

Xiao, 61, has been dedicated to protecting the Francois' langurs in the reserve for 34 years. For whatever reasons, whenever Xiao blows his whistle the monkeys come running.

To understand the habits and routines of Francois' langurs, Xiao often sets out before dawn, waiting at the entrance of a cave to observe and record their activities. He also tells villagers about the protection of monkeys and the preservation of the environment, sometimes spending several days in the mountains.

Eight forest rangers like Xiao work at Liangqiao Management Station in the reserve, along with 50 part-time rangers.

The Francois' langur is a first-class protected wild animal in China. The species is mainly found in Guizhou and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, with scattered populations in Vietnam and Laos. The global population of black leaf monkeys is only around 2,000, and they are listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The karst valley is an essential habitat for the Francois' langurs. The Mayang River National Nature Reserve, located in the stone mountain valleys, is an ideal habitat for these monkeys. It is home to approximately one-third of the world's wild Francois' langurs and is known as the home of the species.

"Thirty years ago, the number of Francois' langurs in the reserve was only around 300 in 38 groups. Now, it has increased to over 700 in 72 groups. Through the joint efforts of the reserve and the local villagers, combined with ecological restoration and increased awareness among the villagers the population of the monkeys has doubled," said Wu Ankang, the secretary of the Party Committee and director of the reserve administration.

In the early 1980s, there was heavy confrontation between the villagers and the monkeys, Wu said. In order to increase food production to solve shortages, the villagers cut down trees and cultivated farming land. This reduced the monkeys' habitat and their food sources such as leaves and fruit.

As a result, Francois' langurs frequently raided the villagers' crops, causing damage to agricultural produce. The villagers used to intimidate and drive away the monkeys to protect their crops.

Wu said that the protection of black leaf monkeys primarily focused on ensuring their habitat, living spaces, and food sources, while also raising awareness about protection among the villagers living in the reserve. Deforestation and land clearance are strictly prohibited in the reserve, and efforts have been made to actively involve farmers in forest protection work.

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The skin on their faces, hands, and feet is as black as their fur. Above a gull-shaped brow ridge, a tuft of hair rises to a triangular peak. Their ears, also black in hue, are rimmed at the tops with bright white fur that extends down their cheeks like white sideburns-their most striking feature.