Douc (pronounced “dook”), is a Vietnamese word of ancient origin, thought to mean ‘monkey’. Though a bit of a misnomer as they are monkeys, not apes, douc langurs are popularly known as ‘costumed apes’ because of their extravagantly-coloured coats, bearing red, black, white, grey and gold highlights. Juveniles have a lighter body colouration than adults and a darker-coloured face. Their coat colour darkens as they grow older, as their face colour lightens.

Douc langurs are playful animals, juveniles more so than adults. You’d see jumping, running, climbing, hanging and swinging, while pulling, wrestling, mouthing, touching and chasing a partner: all in a day’s play. Like many other primates, doucs have a specific “play face" - mouth open and teeth partially showing. This may be used to initiate grooming or play. A stare with raised eyebrows is a threat and the other party often backs down with a submissive grimace.

Douc langurs are closely related to the proboscis monkeys and snub-nosed monkeys. Similarly, doucs have a leaf-rich diet as well as a multi-chambered stomach that helps them to break down leaf cellulose. They also eat flowers, unripe fruits and their seeds. Doucs are very particular when foraging for food - nothing is ingested without scrutiny. Ripe fruit is discarded, as are old leaves. Each morning, the keepers make their rounds to gather a variety of fresh leaves to ensure that our douc langurs get their best greens. Doucs don't drink water - they can derive the water they need from their food.