Primates of Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia hosts a remarkable diversity of primates, from macaques and langurs to orangutans, many of them being endangered from habitat loss and poaching.

These observations reflect encounters with species in their natural environments, sometimes in close proximity.

Primates are iconic species but can be quite tricky to observe and photograph well, especially inside dense forests where these big creatures can camouflage very well !

   Raffles’ banded langur (Presbytis femoralis)

   Bornean tarsier (Cephalopachus bancanus borneanus)

   Celebes crested macaque (Macaca nigra)

   Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii)

   Black-shanked douc (Pygathrix nigripes)

   Moor macaque (Macaca maura)

   Northern gray gibbon (Hylobates funereus)

   Thomas’ leaf monkey (Presbytis thomasi)

   Bangka slow loris (Nycticebus bancanus)

   Dusky langur (Trachypithecus obscurus obscurus)

   Maroon leaf monkey (Presbytis rubicunda ignita)

Why this matters

Despite being well known in general, some primates can be surprisingly understudied. Langurs from Sumatra, Borneo and small islands in between are very seldom photographed and hardly anything is known about their behavior and habits in the wild.

Primates have a special cultural significance as they are genetically and physically (for Hominidae) so close to us. Unfortunately, in Southeast Asia, many primate species are illegally traded in unsustainable numbers, driving them close to extinction. The gibbon family, only found in Asia, is the second most endangered primate group in the world.

This is a selection of a few primate species, mostly photographed in the wild, between 2023 and 2025. One species, however, is photographed under human care to highlight the importance of successful rehabilitation programs for critically endangered animals.

 

Other species of primates can be found by browsing my Education resources.

 

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