I love monkeys and this is a hard post to write. DNA-wise they’re the closest thing to humans. Earlier this week we went to Cuc Phuong National Park in Vietnam. The first stop inside the park is the Endangered Primate Rescue Center – a monkey sanctuary. I didn’t’ know there was a need for such a place. I see tons of monkeys all the time in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and they’re busy stealing people’s food or being fed by tourists. The details of why this monkey sanctuary exists is too heartbreaking to share here, other than to tell you that monkeys are hunted and killed in Vietnam for “traditional folk medicine or religious or magical practices.” The sanctuary is home to over 170 primates. They are caged here for their own protection. Some have been injured in the wild by hunters and trappers. All are here because they’re an endangered species – read more. There are caged areas and semi-wild areas. The species that are here are breeding in captivity. As the population grows some are re-introduced to the wild.
Three out of twelve langur species in Vietnam are listed in “The World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates”
The population of Hatinh langurs has shrunk by half in less than 40 years.
Some populations are literally eaten by humans 😦
The visit was a genuine experience and our guide was sincere, informative and loved his job. At times he would just stop the tour and we would just stand there and listen to the monkeys. I took a lot of pictures but I didn’t know how the photos would turn out. Later in the week when I transferred them onto my laptop I spent a lot of time just staring at the pictures, staring at their eyes.
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