HATINH LANGUR

The taxonomy of the Hatinh langurs recorded in Laos has been questioned due to the colour variation, with some individuals having all black or mostly black fur. These were for a time considered as a separate species – T. ebenus, or the Indochinese black langur. Currently, the conclusion is that these black langurs are just a dark morph of the Hatinh langur.1 However, further genetic analysis may help understand why this species exists in two colour morphs in the same area.

Although the difficulty of accessing its karst habitat has historically protected the Hatinh langur, it is now heavily hunted for the wild meat and medicine trade. The langurs are particularly targeted for use in a traditional medicine named “Cao Khi” (monkey balm) in Vietnamese. New roads near Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and in Laos have not only led to habitat destruction, but to increased ease of access for hunters. In Laos, research in Hin Nam No National Park has shown that the population has declined significantly since 2006. A 2019 survey of primates in Hin Nam No estimated that there may be about 1,000 individuals of Hatinh langur (of both colour morphs) in the park, but encounter rates along survey trails declined to about 0.19 individuals/km from 0.42 individuals/km encountered in a 2009 study. In Phong Nha-Ke Bang in Viet Nam, this species is particularly threatened by hunting, including by snaring.

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