How Huawei's AI Technology Is Helping Save the World's Critically Endangered White-Headed Langur in China's Karst Mountains
AI / Machine Learning | 4 min read
In the rugged karst mountains of Guangxi in southern China, the white-headed langur — a primate species found exclusively in Chongzuo, Guangxi, and listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — is steadily recovering in population after decades on the brink of extinction. The recovery is the result of an integrated approach combining technology, law enforcement, and ecological restoration. At the heart of the technological effort is a partnership between the Guangxi Chongzuo White-headed Langur National Nature Reserve, Huawei, and the China-ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Application Cooperation Center — which together developed an intelligent AI-powered monitoring platform that has transformed the reserve's ability to observe and protect the species. The langur population has grown from just over 300 individuals in the 1980s to more than 1,400 across 130 groups today — rarer than the giant panda and listed as a Class-One State Protected Species in China.
The Problem AI Solved — Turning Idle Video Data Into Conservation Intelligence
The white-headed langur's habitat presents a specific and compounding set of challenges for traditional conservation monitoring. The species inhabits steep, rugged karst terrain with dense foliage; the animals are fast and agile; and manual observation is extremely difficult even for experienced field researchers. To improve monitoring, the reserve had deployed dozens of cameras across the cliff faces — but the volume of video data generated was so large, and the manual review so time-consuming, that most footage sat idle on servers. The data existed but could not be used. The AI-powered intelligent monitoring platform developed in partnership with Huawei and the China-ASEAN AI Cooperation Center solved this directly. Video-based animal monitoring devices are deployed along the cliffs, collecting real-time data on the langurs' distribution, surroundings, and activity patterns. Using AI-driven automated labelling and data analytics, the system processes this footage into a visualised management dashboard — making the data retrievable and actionable at a scale and speed that was previously impossible. The system now covers more than 20 monitoring stations in the reserve and has recorded more than 37,200 instances of langur activity, providing critical data for both research and conservation management.
"The growth of the white-headed langur population can be attributed to a combination of technology, legislation, and ecological restoration efforts. Digital technology enables more precise observation of these limestone langurs and more informed management of their living environment. This integrated conservation model can serve as a reference for the protection and population recovery of other endangered primate species, such as the eastern black crested gibbon in Southeast Asia."
— Nong Dengpan, Director, Guangxi Chongzuo White-headed Langur National Nature Reserve Management Centre
Ecological Restoration, Legal Framework, and a Sign of Wider Recovery
The AI monitoring platform sits within a broader conservation framework underpinned by legislation and physical habitat restoration. The Chongzuo White-Headed Langur Habitat Protection Regulations — the first regulation of its kind in China — provide the legal framework for the reserve's protection efforts. Under this framework, 77.6 hectares of habitat have been restored, 2 drinking water sources and 18 water drinking points have been built for the langurs, and 2 ecological corridors have been constructed. As an umbrella species of the local karst ecosystem, the langur's population growth has broader significance beyond the species itself — its recovery indicates health in the wider ecosystem. That signal has already arrived: wild duck lettuce, a Level-II protected species in China, was recently found in the reserve for the first time, indicating measurable recovery in the fragile local ecosystem. By the end of 2025, Huawei's digital inclusion projects for environmental protection had been implemented in 65 protected areas around the world, significantly improving the efficiency of biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use and management of natural resources.
"Huawei is committed to conserving nature with technology. We work with global partners to support ecosystem conservation using digital technologies like 5G, cloud, and AI. The success of the white-headed langur project demonstrates AI's immense value in processing complex geographical data and massive volumes of species data. We will continue using innovative technologies to protect biodiversity and enable the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature."
— Tian Yongsheng, Deputy General Manager, Huawei Guangxi
Key Takeaways
- • The white-headed langur (found exclusively in Chongzuo, Guangxi; IUCN Critically Endangered; China Red List Class-One State Protected Species; rarer than the giant panda) has recovered from just over 300 individuals in the 1980s to more than 1,400 across 130 groups today — through an integrated approach combining AI technology, legislation, and ecological restoration.
- • The AI solution: the Guangxi Chongzuo White-headed Langur National Nature Reserve partnered with Huawei and the China-ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Application Cooperation Center to build an AI-powered intelligent monitoring platform. Video-based monitoring devices deployed along cliff faces collect real-time data on langur distribution, surroundings, and activity patterns. AI-driven automated labelling and data analytics convert footage into a visualised management dashboard — solving the problem of vast idle video data that previously could not be manually reviewed. System covers 20+ monitoring stations; has recorded 37,200+ langur activity instances.
- • Ecological restoration metrics: 77.6 hectares of habitat restored; 2 drinking water sources and 18 water drinking points built; 2 ecological corridors constructed. Legal framework: Chongzuo White-Headed Langur Habitat Protection Regulations — first regulation of its kind in China. The langur is an umbrella species for the karst ecosystem; its recovery indicates broader ecosystem health.
- • Sign of wider ecosystem recovery: wild duck lettuce — a Level-II protected species in China — was recently found in the reserve for the first time, indicating measurable recovery in the fragile local karst ecosystem. The integrated conservation model is being positioned as a replicable reference for other endangered primate species, including the eastern black crested gibbon in Southeast Asia.
- • Huawei's broader conservation AI programme: by end of 2025, digital inclusion projects for environmental protection had been implemented in 65 protected areas around the world, improving the efficiency of biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of natural resources. The white-headed langur project demonstrates AI's value in processing complex geographical data and massive volumes of species data — with 5G, cloud, and AI as the core enabling technologies for global biodiversity conservation work.