Cat Ba Langur

Common name for a species of Leaf Monkey with the scientific name Trachypithecus poliocephalus and also known as Golden-headed Langur (fig.). It is a monotypic species, i.e. not a subspecies, and is recognized as a distinct species from White-headed Langur (Trachypithecus leucocephalus), that lives in Guangxi Province, in southern China. It is exclusively found on Cat Ba (Cát Bà) Island in Ha Long Bay (fig.), in northern Vietnam, where it dwells on the limestone hills. Its body is mostly blackish to dark grey, with silvery flanks on the hips and upper legs, and a bright golden to yellowish-white head and shoulders. It has a rather thick tail, that can measure up to 89 centimeters in length. Infants are a flamboyant orange in colour. With their number having declined from over 2,500 individuals in the sixties to just about 50 wild specimens in 2001 and just over 60 individuals in 2006, the Cat Ba Langur is considered to be the most endangered primate species of Vietnam and one of the rarest animal species worldwide. They live in small social groups of around 5 animals and dwell in forests around limestone formations, at an elevation from 70-100 meters, and regularly sleep in caves. Like other Leaf Monkeys, Cat Ba Langurs are herbivorous, feeding primarily on leaves, but also on fresh shoots, flowers, bark and some fruits. 回