New groups of endangered langurs found in central Vietnam

The groups of five-six members each were spotted in the reserve that lies on the border of Quang Nam Province and Da Nang City, said Tran Viet Phuong, head of the Da Nang Forest Protection Department.

Dubbed the "queen of primates" thanks to their distinctive and unique appearance, the red-shanked douc langurs are identified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and listed in Vietnam’s Red Book of rare animals that must be protected.

Rangers had seen the langurs earlier in 2016, but were unable to either keep track of them or take any photographs, as they have been able to do this time.

There is no official number for red-shanked douc langurs in Vietnam, but the Son Tra Peninsula in Da Nang houses the biggest population of this endangered species in the nation.

A study conducted in 2017 on behalf of the city by the Green Vietnam Biodiversity Conservation Center, a non-government organization, counted 1,300 red-shanked douc langurs in the peninsula. Poaching and loss of habitat pose the gravest threat to their existence.

The peninsula lies 40 km (25 miles) from Ba Na – Nui Chua forest.

"The appearance of the new groups of red-shanked douc langurs at Ba Na – Nui Chua forest has proven that the living conditions and environment as well as the management and protection of forests in this area are good," Phuong said.