Queen of the Primates: The red-shanked douc langur

With a long white tail, reddish brown legs, a bright yellow-orange face, and pale lavender eyelids, the “Queen of the Primates”—the red-shanked douc langur—is a brilliant sight within the dense forest greens of their home. This old-world monkey looks like they’re wearing short sleeve gray sweaters, or perhaps white arm warmers, and their dark, almond-shaped eyes appear thoughtful as they eat leaves, fruit, and flowers in the canopy.

Endemic to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, red-shanked douc langurs face the challenges of habitat loss, hunting, and capture for the pet trade.

Luckily, organizations like Greenviet and filmmakers like Ryan Deboodt continue to educate about this critically endangered species.

The National Geographic Short Film Showcase above, filmed by Deboodt in partnership with Fauna and Flora International, introduces the red-shanked douc langurs’ life in Vietnam.

Greenviet’s Head of Scientific Research, Bui Van Tuan, shares more about his organization’s conservation efforts around the film’s 4m40s mark.

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• Phayre’s Leaf Monkeys with a bright orange baby
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