Eighty domestic and foreign experts gathered at an internationalworkshop in northern Ninh Binh province on October 9 to discuss how toprotect rare and precious primate species in Vietnam.
Jointlyorganised by the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre (EPRC), the CucPhuong National Park and the Frankfurt Zoological Society, theevent aimed to assess the direct threats against rare primate speciesin the region, thus finding solutions to preserve the species in thecoming time.
According to Director of the Nature PreservationDepartment under the General Department of Forestry Tran The Lien,biodiversity in Vietnam faces great threats due to climate changeand human activities.
He cited statistics of the World NaturePreservation Organisation (IUCN) that seven primate species in Vietnamare critically threatened, nine are threatened and seven others arenear threatened, which means that 90 percent of Vietnam’s primatespecies are facing the threat of extinction.
Lien stressed theneed for a regional strategy with practical measures to promotemanagement and preservation of primates.
Truong Quang Bich,Director of the Cuc Phuong National Park said the park has beencarrying out a project to preserve rare primates, under which the EPRCwas established in 2003 and is now home to 150 individuals of 15 rareprimate species and subspecies. Nine primate species have reproduced atthe centre, of which three species are the first to reproduce incaptivity in the world. The centre’s operation has contributed greatlyto raising awareness of local people and visitors of the significance ofpreserving primate in general and Vietnam’s endemic gibbons inparticular.
Christian Roos, vice president of the IUCN’sspecialised group on primate, spoke highly of the role played by theEPRC and Tilo Nadler, who is co-director of the primate preservationproject at Cuc Phuong Part in rescuing, preserving primates and helpingthem re-assimilate into their natural habitat.
He called forjoint efforts and closer cooperation between regional countries’governments to counter the threats to primate species before it is toolate.-VNA
Jointlyorganised by the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre (EPRC), the CucPhuong National Park and the Frankfurt Zoological Society, theevent aimed to assess the direct threats against rare primate speciesin the region, thus finding solutions to preserve the species in thecoming time.
According to Director of the Nature PreservationDepartment under the General Department of Forestry Tran The Lien,biodiversity in Vietnam faces great threats due to climate changeand human activities.
He cited statistics of the World NaturePreservation Organisation (IUCN) that seven primate species in Vietnamare critically threatened, nine are threatened and seven others arenear threatened, which means that 90 percent of Vietnam’s primatespecies are facing the threat of extinction.
Lien stressed theneed for a regional strategy with practical measures to promotemanagement and preservation of primates.
Truong Quang Bich,Director of the Cuc Phuong National Park said the park has beencarrying out a project to preserve rare primates, under which the EPRCwas established in 2003 and is now home to 150 individuals of 15 rareprimate species and subspecies. Nine primate species have reproduced atthe centre, of which three species are the first to reproduce incaptivity in the world. The centre’s operation has contributed greatlyto raising awareness of local people and visitors of the significance ofpreserving primate in general and Vietnam’s endemic gibbons inparticular.
Christian Roos, vice president of the IUCN’sspecialised group on primate, spoke highly of the role played by theEPRC and Tilo Nadler, who is co-director of the primate preservationproject at Cuc Phuong Part in rescuing, preserving primates and helpingthem re-assimilate into their natural habitat.
He called forjoint efforts and closer cooperation between regional countries’governments to counter the threats to primate species before it is toolate.-VNA
