The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Our scientists have chosen the top 10 comeback stories in nature. These are the places, ecosystems and species that have been brought back from the brink of disaster. See what made the cut from the last century — and what we hope will be on our list in the next.

The Next Comebacks: Yunnan Golden Monkey

With its clownish pink lips and black pompadour, the whimsical looking Yunnan golden monkey seems born of a child’s imagination.

But the monkey is facing perils that are all too real. With no more than 2,000 remaining in its native China, the monkey is one of the world’s most endangered primates. Habitat loss and illegal hunting have pushed the monkey to the brink of disaster.

Thanks to The Nature Conservancy, the China Academy of Sciences and local Chinese partners, the monkey is getting more protection and local people are helping.

Leading the way is an intrepid Chinese ecologist — Conservancy biologist Long Yongcheng — who is tracking the elusive creatures and piecing together clues to how to save them. Read more.

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