In the first six months of 2024, 15 Cat Ba langurs were born, bringing the total population to over 90, the highest number in the last 100 years.
Mother langur and juvenile – Cu Dong area, Lan Ha Bay. (Video: Neahga Leonard).
Mr. Neahga Leonard, Director of the Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project, reported that the population count was confirmed through genetic research on the Cat Ba langur conducted by the Göttingen Primate Research Center in Germany.
Cat Ba langur, also known as the Golden-headed langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus), is an endemic primate species of the Cat Ba Archipelago, Cat Hai District, Hai Phong City, and is currently critically endangered with the second lowest population in the world.
Once widely distributed across the Cat Ba Islands, hunting has drastically reduced this endemic species to just over 40 individuals by the year 2000. Subsequently, Cat Ba National Park collaborated with the Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations (ZGAP) and the Allwetterzoo Münster (Germany) to establish the Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project to prevent the extinction of this species.
As a result, the number of langurs has gradually increased. Since the beginning of 2024, 14 out of 15 infants have been born and are thriving. According to the project management board, this is the year with the highest number of births. “This demonstrates that our efforts to ensure the safety of the Cat Ba langur population are yielding results. We hope to see more infants born by the end of the year,” Mr. Neahga stated.
An adult Cat Ba langur and a juvenile. (Photo: Neahga Leonard).
According to Mr. Neahga Leonard, the project began with a wild population that had declined to a dangerous level, standing on the brink of extinction in 2000. In the early years, the team focused on stabilizing the population to prevent further losses due to hunting. At that time, the reproductive rate was low, with female langurs giving birth only once every two years. Consequently, the increase in the early years was extremely slow. “Only when the population size gradually increased did we see a significant rise in the number of females participating in reproduction, which is now around 30 individuals, accounting for 30% of the Cat Ba langur population,” Mr. Neahga Leonard explained.
Mr. Nguyen Quang Vinh, Vice Chairman of the Cat Hai District People’s Committee, assessed that the increase in the Cat Ba langur population is a positive sign for the conservation efforts of primates in Vietnam and worldwide. The Cat Ba langur is one of the few endangered primate species whose population is on the rise.
Currently, more than 90 Cat Ba langurs primarily inhabit the steep cliffs along the coastline of the Cat Ba Archipelago, which is closely linked to their food sources and safe shelter.
A group of Cat Ba langurs on a cliff. (Photo: Mai Sy Luan).
All species of langurs in the genus Trachypithecus give birth to offspring with orange-yellow coloration. This is a social characteristic that helps attract the attention and care of adult individuals, fostering bonding and sharing within the group. Infant langurs nurse from their mothers during the first months of life. They begin to eat young leaves around the third month. Depending on the individual, by the fifth month, the skin and fur coloration of the juvenile will begin to appear – darker on the body, slightly gray on the legs, and yellow to light yellow on the neck and head. As the fur color of the juvenile gradually shifts to that of the adult, the attention from other members of the group will also diminish. Females typically start reproducing between the ages of 4 to 6 years.
| The Cat Ba langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus) has physical characteristics quite similar to the White-headed langur (Trachypithecus leucocephalus) found in southern China and is often mistakenly referred to by that name. However, the fur color on the head of the adult Cat Ba langur is white and yellow, while the White-headed langur only has white fur, making them distinct species. |
