The 15-year-old male golden monkey, a rare species found only in China, was paralyzed when he damaged a number of vertebrae, said Li Liujin, a doctor with the Animal Center of the Fourth Military Medical University, which has taken in the special patient.

The monkey was found in Ningshan, a mountainous county in southern Shaanxi on Monday after it had fallen from a tree and seriously injured itself, said Wang Xiaoping, a worker with the county's power supply company.

Wang and his colleagues took the monkey to the county's forestry bureau where veterinarians gave the animal emergency treatment.

Later, they asked for help from the Shaanxi Provincial Wild Animal Rescue Center in Xi'an. The center dispatched people to Ningshan County and on Wednesday, the injured monkey was taken to Xi'an for further treatment.

It was found to be in serious condition, said Li Liujin.

"Twelve of the monkey's vertebrae had been displaced and there were 11 fractures, and unless it is operated on soon it will die," Li said.

However, no such operations have ever been carried out in China and there is no supply of monkey blood for the operation, Li said.

The blood type of the golden monkey is RM and the blood of human beings cannot be used for the monkey, and even monkey blood can be used only after it has been specially treated, Li said.

"We sincerely hope animal experts from around the world will come up with some workable procedure to save the monkey," Li said.

The golden monkey, which is found in Shaanxi, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, is especially admired for its beautiful golden fur.

It is one of China's endangered animals, and has been accorded first-class protection. As a result of the effective protection, the number of golden monkeys has jumped to several thousand in recent years.

(China Daily June 28, 2002)