The so-called ‘shepherd’ of the langurs in Hung Su

Tu is a renowned figure in Thach Hoa commune (Tuyen Hoa district, Quang Binh) due to his unwavering dedication to safeguarding a unique langur troop that has grown in size.

Nguyen Thanh Tu, who is now over 60 years old, remains extremely flexible.  He recalls that in early 2012, he found sưa (rosewood) and transported it to the Hung Su forest to plant it.  He observed a few animals swinging from trees across a limestone ridge while he was relaxing.  He soon came to the realization that these langurs were rare and had been absent for over two decades as a result of hunting.

The Ha Tinh langur, a critically endangered primate species in Vietnam, is rare and has a black crest on its head and a tail that is longer than its body. Tu shared the sighting with elders in the village and researched the news.

Tu returned to the forest every two or three days for nearly a month following the discovery, climbing the limestone cliffs to monitor the langur troop's habitation.  He even cooked rice and placed it in the limestone's crevices on hot days to provide food for the langurs.

"It required nearly a year for the langurs to adjust to my presence," Tu remembered.  "Initially, they hidden themselves and watched me from afar.  Eventually, they began to relax on nearby tree branches, as if to establish a link". 

Tu then devised a strategy to safeguard the langurs on his own.  The return of the rare primates gained the attention of hunters who were ready to capture them.  He was involved in numerous disputes with these groups.  Tu was unwavering in his determination to prevent any outsiders from entering the forest to hunt, regardless the threats they made.

"Occasionally, they believed that they had an advantage in numbers and attempted to act recklessly.  I threatened to report them to the authorities, police, and forest rangers if they entered the forest.  That typically deterred them", Tu state. 

Many locals in the commune voluntarily joined Tu's efforts to safeguard the rare langur troop.  They collaborated to establish a protection team, with him serving as the team leader.  The crew shifts between patrolling the forest to prevent outsiders from entering and occasionally transporting food to the limestone cliffs for the langurs.

Although some of the team members were once renowned hunters in the region, they are all local residents.  The team engages in consistent communication with forest rangers, local police, and commune officials to complete tasks such as the removal of hunting traps, the provision of water for the langurs, the promotion of public awareness, and the encouragement of the community to refrain from hunting uncommon wildlife.  "We complete this task out of a sense of obligation, not in exchange for compensation or benefits."  Nevertheless, Tu expressed that everyone is satisfied and glad of the work.

Tu informed the Quang Binh Forest Protection Department when he verified that the langur troop had returned to the Hung Su area, enabling them to develop a conservation plan.  The local communities of Thach Hoa and Dong Hoa communes are now responsible for the preservation of the langurs.

The Hatinh langur (Trachypithecus hatinhensis) troop's appearance and the protection team's efforts in Thach Hoa Commune have captured the attention of numerous non-governmental organizations and authorities at the provincial and grassroots levels.  Quang Binh Province designated more than 1,200 hectares of special-use forest between 2018 and 2021 to provide a habitat for langurs and other uncommon wildlife species.

The langur population has increased to several hundred individuals as a result of the strict protection measures in place.  Since 2023, the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) has provided funding for the project "Co-managing Biodiversity and Improving Livelihoods for Communities in the Conservation Area of the White-Cheeked Gibbon Langur in Tuyen Hoa District."  The project, which is being implemented in four communes of Thach Hoa, Dong Hoa, Son Hoa, and Thuan Hoa, has a total budget of over USD 296,000 and is expected to continue until the end of the first quarter of 2025.

According to Tu, the most significant achievement came in 2023, when a general production and business cooperative was established to support the project and voluntarily conserve the white-cheeked gibbon langurs in Thach Hoa Commune.  "The encouragement we receive from a number of government agencies and organizations serves as an additional incentive for us to remain dedicated to the preservation of endangered wildlife.  We continue our volunteer work every day to guarantee the safety and growth of langurs," Tu stated.

The project “People, Primates, Plants: Co-managing Biodiversity and Improving Livelihoods in Viet Nam”, or PPP Project for short (September 2022 - March 2025), is funded by the UK Government through Darwin Initiative, aims to address the relationship between biodiversity conservation and local livelihoods through co-management of forests by local people and development of market-oriented agroforestry practices that help improve local livelihood and promote restoration of native tree species.

Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF - also known as World Agroforestry), Center for Research in Resource Governance Highland Resources (CEGORN), and voluntary langur conservation group are key project implementing partners, with effective support from Tuyen Hoa District’s authorities and relevant parties.

For more about the Project: https://linktr.ee/pppdarwinproject