A new 7,500-acre reserve just protected one of Earth's rarest monkeys

Vietnam has established a 7,500-acre reserve in Ninh Binh Province to protect Delacour's langur, one of the world's most-endangered primates. The Kim Bang Delacour's Langur Habitat Conservation Area covers 3,182 hectares of karst limestone escarpments and forest across three wards, including Tam Chuc, whose UNESCO-listed rice fields and towering pinnacles draw visitors from around the world. Named after the French biologist who first identified it, the langur is down to roughly 250 individuals across perhaps 17 populations. It is not a species built for a comeback in a hurry. Females mature at about four, carry a single infant for seven months, and do not wean the baby until it is nearly two. About 4,400 acres of the reserve will be strictly guarded, with a further 3,500 acres set aside for ecological restoration. Authorities plan close monitoring of the slow-breeding monkey, alongside ecotourism tied to the area's natural heritage.