The clip, filmed by photographer Le Phuoc Chin, 66, from Hoa Cuong Ward in Danang, has attracted more than 3.5 million views on social media.
In the footage, the animal, believed to be the father, moves ahead of the group to check the route before allowing the other members to cross. Emerging from a bush, it pauses to inspect the concrete road and carefully survey its surroundings. Only after determining that it is safe does the animal signal for the family to cross one by one.
The natural and endearing scene quickly won widespread appreciation online.
Chin said he had been fascinated by red-shanked douc langurs for more than 10 years. He regularly photographs and films the primates on Son Tra Peninsula, documenting their daily lives, from grooming and caring for one another to swinging between branches and crossing roads using rope bridges.
“I love these langurs not only because of their beautiful five-coloured coats, black, grey, white, reddish-brown and orange, but also because of their behaviour,” Chin said. “They live in family groups, much like humans. A group typically has a dominant male living with two or three females and their young, and the members generally coexist peacefully. The father is a responsible and exemplary husband and parent.”
The "langur father" emerges from the forest and pauses to observe (Photo: Le Phuoc Chin).
From his observations, Chin said the langurs spend most of their time in the forest canopy, feeding on fruit and seasonal young leaves. They are careful eaters, usually finishing each fruit or leaf before picking more, and rarely gathering more food than they need. They are also shy animals that tend to avoid people when they detect a human presence.
When crossing roads or foraging in trees near them, the father often takes the initiative in finding a good vantage point to survey the area. When the group climbs trees to feed, he typically stays on the outermost branches near the road, keeping watch over the surroundings and protecting the others.
For more than a decade, Chin has travelled to Son Tra Peninsula every weekday, setting out at 5.30 am with little more than a banh mi sandwich and a cup of coffee. He spends the early hours enjoying the natural scenery and looking for opportunities to photograph the langurs.
In 2017, he organised an auction of a photographic book about red-shanked douc langurs to raise funds for Son Tra conservation. He also took part in a photography exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City.
While his mate and young cross the road, the father langur keeps watch (Photo: Le Phuoc Chin).
Sharing a passion to protect a rare primate
The red-shanked douc langur is classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List and endangered in Vietnam’s Red Data Book.
For Chin, each photograph and video is therefore more than the result of a personal passion. It is also an opportunity to introduce the beauty of this rare primate to a wider audience and encourage its protection.
Red-shanked douc langurs are also found in mountainous areas of Quang Tri province and Hue city, Chin said, but spotting them there can be difficult because they inhabit remote forests. On Son Tra Peninsula, by contrast, the animals are more concentrated, giving residents and visitors a better chance of seeing them.
For the photographer, the greatest reward is not simply capturing beautiful moments, but helping more people discover and appreciate the langurs and join efforts to protect this distinctive part of Vietnam’s natural heritage.