Man goes from poacher to forest guardian

Once a hunter, he has laid down his rifle and become an active wildlife protector in Kim Bang District in the northern province of Ha Nam.

In 1994, he accompanied expert Le Van Dung to investigate the Delacour’s langur population in Kim Bang forest. During the journey, they saw a group of langurs cling to their mother while the adult male taught them how to look for food.

Sixty-year-old Hien still remembers what they talked about on that day.

“Langurs have the same love as humans. If one member of the family dies, the others will grieve and stop eating. If the mother langur dies, its baby will also die,” Dung told him.

Dung also said the Delacour’s langur was on the verge of extinction in the world and advised him to give up hunting.

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