Monkey business very important for one luxury resort

A luxury hotel in Vietnam is doing its bit to help ensure the survival of a critically endangered species of primates.

InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, a five-star resort on the Son Tra Peninsula, has installedg three brand-new “monkey bridges” – man-made bamboo and rope structures - that help the resident population of red-shanked douc langurs travel safely around the resort to access their favourite feeding grounds.

Famed for their striking scarlet legs and white beards, red-shanked douc langurs are one of the rarest primates on Earth – classified as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Only around 2,000 remain in the wild in Vietnam, 1,500 of which are thought to live in the jungles of the Son Tra Peninsula, where they love to eat the young leaves of tropical almond trees. They occasionally get on the ground to drink water or eat dirt. 

The InterContinental Danang is determined to protect its charming tree-dwelling friends.

Five families of red-shanked douc langurs are known to reside within the grounds of this 39-hectare resort, each with between five and 20 members.

To help the communities thrive, InterContinental Danang is creating a network of bridges and ladders that let these arboreal animals move freely through the forest canopy, their preferred habitat.

The new monkey bridges joined two already in place, providing these colourful creatures with safe, stress-free passages through the forest.

August and September are usually the months when baby red-shanked douc langurs are born, so the new bridges have been completed at a crucial time. More bridges are being planned in future.

“At InterContinental Danang, we understand that we have a responsibility to preserve the precious ecosystems of the Son Tra Peninsula," said general manager Seif Hamdy.

"One of the best ways to help protect the red-shanked douc langurs is to keep their migration routes open. Our monkey bridges act like aerial highways, letting them live, feed and breed in complete peace and safety.

"The bridges are not only used by red-shanked douc langurs, however; other native species such as macaques, squirrels and even civets have been seen using them, which shows how beneficial they are to our wildlife.”

See www.danang.intercontinental.com.