Monday, October 4
SEEING THE RARE DOUC LANGUR IN THE SEMI-WILD, OUTSIDE DANANG In pictures: his round ruminant belly. He chews
betel leaves all day. Bright ochre legs, sensitive face, framed
with a white ruff. When blinking: mysterious blue eyelids.
How do we protect it? We bring people. They see the monkey
and they fall in love. Unburdened, confident, the eco-tour guide
took us up the mountain. Even the children grew quiet,
squinting into the leafy depths. Finally we stopped and gazed
into the douc’s shining eyes, which remained quite open,
no blue to see but that of the sky. We stood in the empty road
clutching cameras. Meanwhile, the douc, regal,
plucked a branch and removed each one of its leaves,
just as I do with a bunch of basil. His sharp little mouth
moved, chewing. The sea like a sparkling tray was held up
in the background of him. The red-shanked douc ignored it. (Chloe Martinez)