Quảng Ngãi, Đà Nẵng approve endangered langurs conservation projects

Two conservation projects on the protection of two endangered primates species – red-shanked douc langurs and grey-shanked douc langurs – have been approved by the central city of Đà Nẵng and Quảng Ngãi province in central Việt Nam.

Two conservation projects to protect two endangered primates species – red-shanked douc langurs (Pygathrix nemaeus) and grey-shanked douc langurs (Pygathrix cinerea) – have been approved by the central city of Đà Nẵng and Quảng Ngãi Province.

The red-shanked douc langurs conservation project in Đà Nẵng will aim to provide free trips and environmental education courses on the endangered primates for 7,500 school and university students at the Đà Nẵng–based Centre of Biodiversity Conservation (GreenViet)’s Nature Education and Experience Centre in 2024-26.

The programme will also include courses for 100 teachers from 50 secondary schools that will help them to share their knowledge on the endangered langurs conservation to 10,000 school students.

GreenViet, an NGO, will be providing a total fund of VNĐ1.52 billion (US$63,000) to improve understanding about the importance of conservation.

Over the past few years, the Nature Education and Experience Centre on the Sơn Trà peninsula has welcomed more than 32,000 school students, teachers and local residents who wanted to know more about the biodiversity of the Sơn Trà Nature Reserve.

Activities have included wildlife study, jungle trips, painting contests, cleaning up the environment and planting trees.

The reserve, which covers 4,400ha, is home to more than 1,300 red-shanked douc langurs – an endangered primate – and more than 1,000 plant and 370 animal species.

The Sơn Trà Nature Reserve is a favourite destination for tourists who want to see the red-shanked douc langur up close, according to conservationists from GreenViet.

The red-shanked douc langur – listed as an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – was chosen as a symbol of the Đà Nẵng’s City biodiversity.

The Nature Reserve occupies a precious and rare biodiversity of mountain, forest, streams and ocean, containing coral reefs and a 30km-long beautiful pristine beach.

Meanwhile, the central province of Quảng Ngãi also approved the grey-shanked douc langurs (Pygathrix cinerea) conservation project of the UK-registered Synchronicity Earth, who will provide technical support, field surveys and wildlife rescue skills for local rangers in districts of Trà Bồng, Sơn Hà, Sơn Tây and Ba Tơ for the next two years.

The project, with a proposed fund of VNĐ1.2 billion ($51,981), will include training session of the use of Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART), a platform consisting of a set of software and analysis tools designed to help conservationists manage and protect wildlife. The technology will be used by local rangers and forest owners in the four districts, which shelter 169 grey-shanked douc langurs, recognised as critically endangered species by IUCN.

The province also plans to build a biodiversity conservation project on a 46,000ha primary forest area in Ba Tơ District as the first-ever natural reserve.

Quảng Ngãi is one of five provinces in central Việt Nam – including Bình Định, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, and Quảng Nam – where about 1,000 critically endangered primates are reported living in the last well-protected forest.

A population of more than 60 individuals of the grey-shanked douc langurs were found living in Tam Mỹ Tây Commune of Quảng Nam Province, with the groups voluntarily protected by local community since 1997.