On November 1, 2026, Shanghai officially launched its annual Wild Animal Protection Publicity Month at the Shanghai Wildlife Park under the theme “Protecting Rare Creatures, Embarking on a Metropolis Ecological Date,” highlighting a major milestone in overseas captive breeding as three Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys successfully birthed two offspring in France.
The Bottom Line
- Three Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys departed the Shanghai Wildlife Park in April 2025 and debuted at France’s Beauval Zoo on May 7, 2025.
- Female golden snub-nosed monkeys “Jindou” and “Jinhua” gave birth on March 11, 2026, and April 3, 2026, marking the first successful natural breeding of the species outside of China.
- Shanghai’s month-long awareness campaign features citizen science initiatives like the “Hog Census” alongside public exhibitions at the Shanghai Children’s Library.
Expanding Wildlife Reserves Across the Metropolis
Opening the 2026 publicity month, Weng Mingxiong, second-level inspector at the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Greening and Urban Appearance, noted that the city’s ecological foundation requires managing unique urban governance challenges while carving out space for human-wildlife coexistence. Over years of practical work, Shanghai has steadily improved its natural reserve network. Rare birds including hooded cranes and tundra swans now reliably spend the winter in the city, while bird species records continue to climb.
Ex-situ conservation efforts have deepened, lifting the ecological functions of urban wildlife habitats. Authorities have established captive-breeding populations for over ten rare species, including South China tigers and golden snub-nosed monkeys. Meanwhile, native species like the Reeves’s muntjac have successfully returned and seen steady population recoveries. Parallel to these efforts, public science projects like the “Hog Census” make urban wildlife monitoring more precise and accessible to ordinary citizens.
Milestone Breeding Success at Beauval Zoo
The international scope of Shanghai’s wildlife efforts took center stage as France’s Beauval Zoo sent a celebratory video message for the launch event. In April 2025, three Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys left the Shanghai Wildlife Park by air for France. Following a quarantine period, the trio made their public debut on May 7, 2025.
After nearly a year of overseas adjustment and specialized care, the primates fully adapted to their new habitat and achieved natural reproduction. On March 11, 2026, and April 3, 2026, the females “Jindou” and “Jinhua” gave birth to a female and a male infant respectively. This marks the first time Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys have naturally reproduced outside China, delivering a major breakthrough for international conservation collaboration.
| Milestone Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Departure from Shanghai | April 2025 | Shanghai Wildlife Park |
| French Public Debut | May 7, 2025 | Beauval Zoo, France |
| First Birth (“Jindou”) | March 11, 2026 | Beauval Zoo, France |
| Second Birth (“Jinhua”) | April 3, 2026 | Beauval Zoo, France |
Public Education and Citizen Science Throughout November
The opening ceremony featured an eco-market where parents and children explored hands-on wildlife conservation booths designed to spark curiosity among youths. Throughout November, educational events will roll out across Shanghai. The Shanghai Children’s Library Changfeng Branch is hosting the “Traveling Through Nature: Living as Neighbors with Hogs” exhibition from November 1 to November 30.
Later in the month, the library will host the “Hog Census” report release alongside the publicity month’s closing ceremony to analyze mega-city wildlife management practices. District-level wildlife authorities will run local campaigns centered on migratory bird protection, animal rescue mechanisms, and public behavior guidelines discouraging unauthorized feeding, releasing, and keeping of wild animals.
