A gray-shanked douc langur (pygathrix cinerea) in central Vietnam. Quang Nam Province plans to restore a 80ha forest to protect a herd of 50 gray-shanked douc langurs in Nui Thanh District. (Photo: GreenViet)
Quang Nam (VNA) - The centralprovince of Quang Nam plans to restore a 80ha forest as habitat for a herd ofgray-shanked douc langurs living in Dong Co village, Tam My Tay commune.
Huynh Tan Duc, director of the provincialAgriculture and Rural Development, said the forest area in question had beenallocated for acacia – one of the most profitable woods in the central region,but this stole the endangered langurs’ natural habitat.
He said the langurs now live in a 5ha primary forest, and face being hunted bylocals as well as poachers.
“We will replant some indigenous species to provide food for the primates. Alarge area of forest will be restored from the commune to the riverhead of Phu Ninh,Bac Tra My and Tien Phuoc districts in the province,” Duc said, adding that theforest area will help connect with primary forests in neighbouring Quang Ngaiprovince.
“The department will collaborate with localadministrations and rangers to hold more patrol and protection of the langurs,and communications for local residents on the importance of the langurs,” hesaid.
The department will survey the langurs and their habitat in order to create asafe shelter for them in a 4,000ha forest in Tam Tra commune, Nui Thanhdistrict, he added.
Tran Huu Vy, director of the Centre of Biodiversity Conservation, GreenViet,said that the centre will help the province track the langurs and offer moremeasures to protect the endangered primates.
In a recent report by the province’s Forest Protection Division, a herd ofabout 50 gray-shanked douc langurs was found living in a 10ha forest in Dong Covillage of Tam My Tay commune over the past 10 years.
The department called for support from biologists, international organisationsand wildlife protection programmes to share their experience and suggestmeasures to protect the langurs.
According to experts from the FrankfurtZoological Society’s Vietnam Primate Conservation Programme, some 1,000gray-shanked doucs have been found in forests of five provinces, including QuangNam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Kon Tum and Gia Lai.
Gia Lai’s National Kon Ka Kinh Park has the largest number of langurs in thecountry.
The gray-shanked douc langur is listed on theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature red list as one of the world’s25 critically endangered primates.-VNA
VNA
