Son Tra, kingdom of rare primate

Son Tra Nature Reserve is not only a well known ecotourism destination but also the kingdom of brown/red shanked doue langers (Pygathrix nemaeus) with the world's largest number of about 530 doue langers.

Son Tra Nature Reserve is not only a well known ecotourism destination but also the kingdom of brown/red shanked doue langers (Pygathrix nemaeus) with the world's largest number of about 530 doue langers.

The brown/red shanked doue langer (Pygathrix nemaeus) in Son Tra Nature Reserve.
The brown/red shanked doue langer (Pygathrix nemaeus) in Son Tra Nature Reserve.

The brown/red shanked doue langer (Pygathrix nemaeus) is called as the “queen of langers” for its five characteristic colors.

Doue langer is listed in the Vietnam Red Book and classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

American postgraduate Jonathan said that the brown/red shanked doue langer is a rare specie that has been found in a few locations in the world.

He chose Son Tra Nature Reserve to make Ph.D. thesis research for the highest number of doue langer.

Founded in 1969, the brown/red shanked doue langer has attracted many domestic and international survey research groups and film crews.

According to researcher Nguyen Ai Tam of the Green Viet, a biological diversity center, doue langers have a habit of living in a family group, searching for food at 6 am and at 3 pm, and sleeping at 11 am.

Da Nang City’s government and the municipal forestry have many activities to protect langers’ living environment.

The People’s Committee has also approved the project on biological diversity conservation in Son Tra Nature Reserve costing VND40 billion, and ended forestry tours that badly damaged environment in the reserve.

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