Vietnam Primate Conservation Status Review 2002 - Hoang Lien ...

3.4 DELACOUR’S LANGUR - Trachypithecus delacouri
Despite the high quantity of information and sightings, it is not possible to give an exact number of
the individuals in this area. A rough estimation would be around 20 animals.
Since 1997 the officials of Gia Van commune have tried to develop the Van Long area as a tourist
attraction. Visitors can go by boat on the dammed-up stream along the steep limestone outcrops. It
is the only place where Delacour’s langurs are regularly seen.
Lac Thuy - Kim Bang area, Lac Thuy District (HOA BINH) Kim Bang District (HA NAM)
Special use forest: None
Delacour’s langur status: Occurrence confirmed, last evidence 1996 (Nadler, pers. comm.), last report
1999 (interview)(Ha Thang Long, 1999)
The occurrence of Delacour’s langurs here is known since 1960 when Hanoi University received 4
specimens from this area: one adult male in May 1960 from Dong Tam, one juvenile male in July
1960 from Phu Thanh, one juvenile male in February 1961 from Lac Thuy and one adult female in
May 1965 from Lac Long (Fooden, 1996).
During the FZS-surveys in 1993-1995 there were sightings of 3 groups of Delacour’s langurs (with
about 14-16 individuals). Based on information from hunters and locals, Nadler (1996b) estimated
the number of individuals in this area to be about 30-40. Three animals were observed in November
1996 (Nadler, unpubl.). During a FZS-survey in October/November 1999 (Ha Thang Long, 1999)
hunters and locals confirmed the existence of one group with about 20 individuals.
The hunting pressure in this area is very high and some hunters specialize in hunting langurs. On
the basis of hunter information the number of hunted Delacour’s langurs prior to 1996 had been
around 20 per year (Nadler, unpubl.).
One Delacour’s langur was found in Bao Sao village in October 1993 (Kim Bang District) in a cooking
pot in the process of preparing “balm” (Nadler, unpubl.). One langur group of 11 individuals was
observed in November 1993, which had apparently declined to 3 animals by 1996, according to
information from hunters. Another group of 9 animals was caught in a sleeping cave in July 1995
and all animals were killed. Three animals from this group were seen as stuffed specimens in the
homes of hunters in Dong Tam Village, Lac Thuy District (Nadler, unpubl.). A villager from Dong Tam
brought an approximately three month old Delacour’s langur to the EPRC in April 1995. The mother
was hunted in this area. This langur is now involved in a breeding programme at EPRC.
Huong Son mountain, My Duc District (HA TAY), Lac Thuy District (HOA BINH)
Special use forest: Partly included in Huong Son Cultural and Historical Site
Delacour’s langur status: Occurrence confirmed, last evidence in 2000 (Luong Van Hao, 2000a)
The first information about the occurrence of Delacour’s langur was collected during the FZS survey
in 1996 (Nadler, unpubl.). During the FZS survey conducted in December 1999/January 2000 locals
and hunters named six localties where Delacour’s langurs occurred.
Close to Yen Vi village one skull was found in the forest. Two Delacour’s langur tails are kept by
hunters. One of the animals was hunted in 1995 (locality unknown) and the second one was hunted
close to Yen Vi. A local in Ai Lang/An Phu specialized in the production of “monkey balm” and
purchased around 100 Delacour’s langurs between 1990-99, 39 from this area and the other ones
from the adjacent provinces Ninh Binh and Nam Ha.
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