CHENGDU, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Rangers in Baoxing County of southwest China's Sichuan Province on Thursday morning found more than 100 Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys playing and foraging for food in the snow.

The primates trooped down to feed in the alpine forests where they usually live, as snow continued for days and temperatures dropped, according to Pu Zhengkai, a staff of the local forestry bureau.

Pu said he found two clear strings of footprints left by the monkeys when he was patrolling the forest in the morning. Before long he heard them jabbering.

Baoxing is considered where the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys were scientifically discovered by French zoologist Armand David about a century and a half ago.

Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys are under top-level protection in China. More than 800 from nine populations were living in Baoxing, according to a survey conducted in 2014.