Conservation center urges $4 million douc langur protection project in Vietnam

By Dac Thanh   July 18, 2019 | 07:41 pm PT
Conservation center urges $4 million douc langur protection project in Vietnam
Gray-shanked douc langurs in a Vietnamese forest. Photo by Nguyen Van Truong.
The GreenViet Biodiversity conservation center is urging the preservation of about 50 gray-shanked douc langurs in Quang Nam Province.

Tran Huu Vy, director of the center based in nearby Da Nang, said the langurs live across 30 hectares (74 acres) on mountains in the central province's Tam My Tay Commune. "The food source for these langurs is very poor," Vy said.

After surveying and researching the situation for three years, GreenViet says the langur habitat is threatened by deforestation for agriculture and the animals themselves are threatened by hunting.

"The gray-shanked douc langur faces the risk of degenerating genetic resources, while this is the only species in the world that can be easily observed in the wild," Vy said.

Four mountains where the gray-shanked douc langurs live in Tam My Tay Commune, Quang Nam Province. Photo by Google maps.

Four mountains where the gray-shanked douc langurs live in Tam My Tay Commune, Quang Nam Province. Photo by Google maps.

GreenViet's proposal sets out tasks for preserving biodiversity resources in the region, enhancing the protection of watershed forests and maintaining the sustainable local development. The government must protect the current 30 ha of natural forest, and continue to plant another 120 ha. This land is being used by about acacia farmers, so the government should find alternative sources of livelihood and income for the farmers, it said.

The project would cost VND100 billion ($4.3 million), of which VND60 billion would be sourced from the province's budget and the rest from private sources. It would be implemented over nine years.

Gray-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix cinerea) concentrate in the central part of the Annamite Range, covering the provinces of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Kon Tum and Gia Lai Provinces. Their current population in Vietnam is estimated at 1,500-2,000 individuals.

Their favorite food is young, tender leaves, although plant buds, fruit, seeds, nuts, and flowers are also on their menu. 

The species is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

 
 
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