The black-and-white snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti) lives in difficult-to-access mountains up to 4,200 m in altitude in Yunnan and Tibet. Its biology and ecology have remained virtually unknown for almost 70 years since it was discovered to science by the French in the 19th century. The species, which is endemic, survives between the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the Upper Mekong, in 15 more or less isolated groups, but there are probably still other groups that have not been recorded, whether they are relics or reconquests. The conservation of the black-and-white snub-nosed monkey involves making the species known to the general public in order to ensure interest in its protection. A number of questions arise about the history of this isolation, the connection between populations and the behavioural and health consequences of feeding them in order to make their observation possible for tourists. We present here the history and main results of research carried out on this emblematic species.