Laura Barry, Vietnam's endangered red-shanked dour langurs (ANIMAL & NATURE 2026)

On a motorbike, I ventured into central Vietnam's Son Tra Peninsula to see the largest remaining population of one of the world's rarest primates, the red-shanked douc langur. Known as the 'Queen of Primates' for their incredible colouring, these shy monkeys are critically endangered, hunted for traditional Chinese medicine and illegal pet trade. They're now found in small pockets of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, and there are only a few thousand left in the wild. These photos capture their colours, personalities and human-like expressions.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.