Tran Quoc Viet, a biology teacher at a junior high school in Central Highlands province of Kon Tum, has been dedicated to saving langurs, a highly endangered breed of primates in Vietnam.

Viet astounded the local animal activists and lovers by buying a langur from two local young hunters and released it back into the wild in September this year.

Previously, two young men carrying a monkey on their bike arrived at Mang But junior high-school in Kon Plong district’s Mang But commune where Viet is working.

Realizing that the animal is an endangered breed, Viet paid the duo VND300,000 (roughly US$15) in exchange for the animal.

The monkey is later identified as the gray-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix cinerea) which is listed in Vietnam’s Red Book of endangered and threatened species. Viet released the monkey into a primeval forest in Kon Plong district’s Dak Rin commune on Sept. 20.

A long-time love

Viet’s love for the langurs has been cherised some years ago when he rescued a three-month old monkey from a local poacher. The cute animal instantly joined Viet’s home, which comprise of himself, his younger brother and a poor student which Viet gave accommodation and support to.

Later, he also spent some hundred dong and food to buy several monkeys trapped by poachers and even threatened to send the men to prison. He and his brother took good care of the monkeys, tended to their injuries and after some while, released them back into the wild.

However, Viet’s major concern is where to release the poor animals as the forests are riddled with deadly traps and poachers.

“It's really hard to find a safe place for the langurs as there are traps everywhere. Once, a hunter brought in a langur which was completely plucked. I was stunned to see the animal, fearing that it might be the same one which I rescued and released back into the wild. Luckily, when looking closely and seeing that the monkey didn’t have the scars of its previous injury, I felt a huge relief,” Viet shared.

He confided that every time he rescues a wild animal, he feels really at peace.

“Just like humans, animals, especially primates, know how to love, have fears and be grateful to their rescuers. Once, I released a langur back into the forest. It took off immediately but soon turned back and looked at me with a deeply grateful look, which has haunted me until now,” the teacher recalled.

“Viet is an excellent teacher, so he’s quite knowledgeable about conservation. We highly appreciate Viet’s rescues and releases of wild rare animals. Sometimes, he bought a rare animal, but he kept wondering if his action might be misunderstood for profit-seeking or not,” commented Hoang Van Dam, principal of Viet’s school.