A gray-shanked douc langur (pygathrix cinerea) in central Vietnam (Photo: GreenViet) Quang Nam (VNA) – The forest ranger department in the central province of Quang Nam has been assigned to strictly protect 30ha of remaining natural forests in Nui Thanh district’s Tam My Tay commune and crackdown on illegal poaching to save the endangered gray-shanked douc langur (pygathrix cinerea).
There are about 50 langurs living in the area. The animal is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUNC) Red List as one of the world’s 25 Most Critically Endangered primates, and only found living in Vietnam.
Local authorities have also requested relevant agencies to complete a conservation project targeting the endemic species. According to the project, between now and 2028, the province is set to spend 134 billion VND (5.78 million USD) on the work. The funding is sourced from the local budget and donations of travel agencies and international organisations.
Apart from guarding the remaining 30ha of natural forests across Hon Do, Hon Ong, Duong Bong, Duong Ban Lau mountains, by 2028, Quang Nam will change at least 150ha of production forests into specialised ones to expand the langur’s habitat.
According to experts from the Frankfurt Zoological Society’s Vietnam Primate Conservation Programme, some 1,000 gray-shanked doucs have been found in forests of five provinces, including Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Kon Tum and Gia Lai.
Gia Lai’s National Kon Ka Kinh Park has the largest community of langurs in the country./.
VNA
