Can a global tourism hotspot save one of the world's rarest primates from extinction?

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Cat Ba Island in Vietnam is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a burgeoning adventure-tourism hub. Yet, beneath the limestone karsts and busy resort developments, a desperate conservation battle unfolds. The island is home to the critically endangered Cat Ba langur, a primate population that once plummeted to just 53 individuals.

Cat Ba Island, the largest of 367 islands in its namesake archipelago, has a history stretching back 6,000 years. Archaeological findings at Ben Beo harbour confirm that the Cai Beo people were among the earliest settlers in these waters. In the 20th century, the island served as a strategic military lookout during the French and American wars, with residents sheltering in caves like the bomb-proof Hospital Cave. Today, the island is undergoing a massive transformation, shifting from a fishing community to a destination receiving over 350,000 visitors annually, with projects like the Cat Ba Amatina set to add thousands of hotel rooms and villas.

This rapid development poses a severe threat to the island's ecological integrity. The Cat Ba National Park, established in 1986, covers about one-third of the island and serves as a critical refuge for 1,561 recorded plant species and 279 animal species. However, the island's most famous resident, the golden-headed Cat Ba langur, remains in a precarious state. Once numbering between 2,400 and 2,700, the population was decimated by poaching for traditional medicine and habitat fragmentation. By 2000, only 53 langurs remained in the wild.

The Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project (CBLCP) now leads the effort to save the species, which has recovered slightly to approximately 68 individuals. The project focuses on 'in situ' conservation, protecting the langurs' natural environment rather than relocating them to zoos. Success is difficult, as the population is split into seven isolated subpopulations, limiting genetic diversity and reproductive success. The CBLCP works closely with local communities and park rangers to curb poaching and foster environmental awareness, attempting to balance the island's economic ambitions with the survival of its most vulnerable inhabitants.

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