China’s rare golden monkeys debut at European zoos

The golden snub-nosed monkeys now at zoos in France and Belgium are so far the only ones outside of Asia

- ASSOCIATED PRESS:

With their distinctive shaggy orange manes, pale blue faces and dense fur covering their hands and feet, it's hard to mistake China's endangered golden snub-nosed monkeys for any other animal.

These rare and charismatic monkeys, unique to the frigid mountains of central China, have recently joined the country's famous pandas as furry envoys to zoos in Europe for the first time — on loan for 10 years from the same government overseen group that coordinates official panda exchanges.

As with “panda diplomacy”, some observers cheer new opportunities for scientific and conservation collaboration, while others raise concerns about the welfare of individual animal ambassadors transported around the world.