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http://scientistatwork.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/08/in-search-of-gray-shanked-doucs/

June 8, 2010, 2:25 pm

In Search of Gray-Shanked Doucs

By ELEANOR STERLING

Friday, June 4, 2010

I still remember the first time I saw a douc langur, an elegant
leaf-eating monkey, in the wild. It was in the 1990s in a rainforest
in central Vietnam and I had heard an ever-so-slight rustling
overhead. I looked up and at first saw nothing moving. Scanning the
dense canopy, I finally saw a light-colored vine hanging down. The
vine twitched. Ah, monkeys, I thought exuberantly. (I love watching
monkeys).

I waited quietly beneath the tree until I saw a beautiful
porcelain-faced animal peer down at me through the mist and leaves. So
not just any monkey but a douc langur! I had done behavioral
observations of these animals in zoos early in my career but never
seen them in the wild. They are assuredly one of the most stunning
primates, with their creamy satin faces, long graceful limbs, and
gray-black fur with a russet necklace. They are also one of the most
endangered, with only a handful of animals left in the world.

We distinguish the three kinds of douc langurs by the colors of their
lower limbs (shanks) — black, gray and red. I had seen a group of
red-shanked doucs and my scientific colleagues were green with envy
when I recounted the incident later. It is extremely rare to encounter
these animals as their populations are in decline, threatened by
habitat loss, development, and hunting, and the animals themselves are
skittish.

Today, as I walk down the sweltering upper west side in New York City
looking up at the tall buildings surrounding me it is hard to believe
that in less than a week’s time I will be back in the rainforests of
Vietnam. I am preparing for an expedition, jointly organized by the
American Museum of Natural History, where I work, the Forest
Protection Department in Vietnam, and the World Wildlife Fund. We hope
to survey one of the last remaining populations of the gray-shanked
doucs in the wild to help determine population size and conservation
needs. While it is easy to get lost in the daydreams, I have to
concentrate now on ensuring I have all the supplies I need for the
trip. So back to my lists. Camera and GPS batteries, water filter,
binoculars, waterproof notebook paper…