Discovered a mere four years ago, the Skywalker gibbon quickly landed on the list of the world's 25 most endangered primates. While its status remains precarious, the species is inspiring a newfound effort to protect and restore the forests of China’s Gaoligong Mountains.
For the world’s rarest ape, survival may depend on stories passed down for centuries among the people of its Chinese island home.
As China prepares to unveil its brand-new national park system, the country—and the world—holds its collective breath to see how conservation will play out under this authoritarian regime.