Identification:
Slender build with long limbs. Males are entirely black, with white facial fur extending from the cheeks and connecting under the chin. Females have yellowish-brown fur, with fur around the face radiating outwards and a grey or black tuft of hair on the head. Both male and female juveniles have pale yellow fur.
Biology and Ecology:
They forage in the high canopy. Their diet consists of fruits, seeds, leaves, buds, insects, bird eggs, and fledgling birds. They reach sexual maturity at 8-9 years old. Gestation lasts 200-214 days, with one offspring per year. They inhabit old-growth forests on high mountain peaks, often rocky terrain. They live in family groups of 3-7 individuals. They are diurnal, foraging in the mornings and evenings, and move lightly and quickly through the trees, rarely descending to the ground.
Distribution:
- Vietnam: Lai Châu (Mường Tè), Sơn La (Mường La, Sông Mã), Hòa Bình (Chi Nê), Thanh Hóa (Hồi Xuân), Nghệ An (Quỳ Châu).
- Global: Laos.
Value:
- Subject of scientific research.
- Used for display in parks and zoos.
Status:
Before 1975, this species was commonly found in old-growth forests of the Northwest provinces of Vietnam, estimated to cover an area of >5,000 km2. From 1975 onwards, the species’ status changed dramatically. The population size decreased significantly. The current number of subpopulations is approximately >5. The potential causes of this decline are habitat degradation due to deforestation, the reduction of natural forest areas, and hunting for traditional medicine (animal glue), trade, and export.
Classification:
EN A1c,d C2a.
Conservation Measures:
Included in the Vietnam Red Data Book 2000 and the list of protected species by the Forestry sector (Appendix IB of Decree 32/2002/ND-CP dated March 30, 2006, of the Government). Recommendations: Effective enforcement of laws, regulations, and Government Decrees on the protection of wildlife is necessary. The establishment of nature reserves and management programs for wildlife in general, and endangered species in particular, is crucial. This species is currently protected in reserves such as: Mường Nhé Nature Reserve (Lai Châu), Xuân Liên (Thanh Hóa), Bến En National Park (Thanh Hóa). Additionally, forests in Thanh Hóa and Nghệ An provinces are also under protection and are being considered for the establishment of reserves to protect this rare primate.