Attractions of Halong Bay #4 Cat Ba National Park

After writing about Cat Ba Island yesterday, it is worth including this amazing National Park as an attraction in its own right.

Cat Ba National Park is found in the heart of surely the most popular holiday destination in Vietnam. Halong Bay, has been enthralling visitors for years. This 600 square mile UNESCO World Heritage Site, is quite simply, astonishing. The bay is about 100 miles to the east of the Vietnamese capital Hanoi. Dotted throughout its waters are 1960 limestone karst islands the largest of which is Cat Ba. The island itself covers some 100 square miles. Almost half and the waters that surround it form the Cat Ba National Park. Thousands of people taking cruise holidays in Halong Bay visit the park to see the incredible array of flora and fauna.

Lush greenery in the Cat Ba National Park
Cat Ba National Park and indeed the whole Island is administered by Hai Phong City. The most famous of all Cat Ba residents is the hugely endangered Cat Ba Langur. The Beautiful Cat Ba Langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus), also called the golden-headed langur, is only found on Cat Ba Island and is one of the most endangered primates in the world. Approximately 50% of Cat Ba Island is giving over to the Cat Ba National Park and it is here that the Cat Ba Langur finally has found some protection. The animals are incredible climbers and leap over sharp jagged rocks with consummate ease. Their tails, which they use for balance, are way longer than the rest of the animals’ bodies.

In better days there were once an estimated 2,700 of these delightful creatures on Cat Ba Island. Human intervention such as poaching and natural habitat destruction saw their numbers reduced to just 53 by the year 2000. Working together with Munster Zoo in Germany, the Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project was set up and has been fighting to save the primate from extinction ever since. As of April 2015 there are now said to be 70 individuals. They are fighting back from the brink, but still have a long way to go. Hopefully thanks to people like the Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project they will be safe.

A troop of Cat Ba Langurs, juveniles are born golden before turning black as they mature. Photo: news.mongabay.com
The Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project is an NGO and works closely with staff at the National Park on Cat Ba Island. Government organisations like the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Hai Phong are also actively involved. As well as working to save the Langurs they do important work in conserving the integrity of the entire Cat Ba archipelago. Through their amazing good work, the Langurs are back from the brink. There are now more than 70 animals in the park with a further 5 in captivity. They are fighting back, but there is still a very long way to go.

The Cat Ba National Park is a truly unique experience. It has unbelievably diverse plants and animals. Apart from the obvious Langurs it is home to Giant Squirrels, in fact 32 mammals, 78 bird species, 20 reptiles and 11 amphibians are found here. Add to that endless plants, trees and mangrove swamps and that’s just the land. One hundred and ninety six species of marine fish have been identified as well as 177 species of coral.

No holiday in Halong Bay is complete without a visit to Cat Ba National Park.

!steemitworldmap 20.792619 lat 107.001552 long Cat Ba National Park D3SCR

Other Attractions in Halong Bay include:

#1 Soi Sim Island https://steemit.com/travel/@inseasia/attractions-of-halong-bay-1-soi-sim-island

#2 Sung Sot Cave https://steemit.com/travel/@inseasia/attractions-of-halong-bay-2-sung-sot-cave

#3 Cat Ba Island https://steemit.com/travel/@inseasia/attractions-of-halong-bay-3-cat-ba-island

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