The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies the western black crested gibbon as critically endangered and the second-most endangered primate in the world, with a total population of between 1,100 and 1,300.

Yunnan is the species' sole habitat in China, and Xinping county is home to 124 groups — the largest in the province and comprising 500 to 600 members in total.

In recent decades, the loss of its habitat to the expansion of agriculture, illegal use of forest land and unlawful logging have seen a sharp decline in numbers.