(Vietnam)New Populations of a Critically Endangered Primate

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New Populations of a Critically Endangered Primate

(Delacour's Langur) Confirmed in Pu Luong NR, Thanh

Hoa Province, Vietnam

 

From Fauna & Flora International, Vietnam Programme

Saturday, April 17, 2004

 

Scientists from a group comprising conservation NGOs

and Vietnamese national authorities today confirmed

the existence of several new groups of Delacour's

Langur, a critically endangered primate species, at Pu

Luong Nature Reserve, Quan Hoa and Ba Thuoc Districts

in north-west Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam. The

discovery comes at a crucial juncture for the langur,

which is endemic to Northern Vietnam and considered

one of the world's top 25 most endangered primate

species. The discovery was made during a joint study

conducted by the Endangered Primate Rescue Center

(EPRC) managed by Frankfurt Zoological Society, and

the Pu Luong - Cuc Phuong Conservation Project,

managed by Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and the

Vietnam Forest Protection Department.

 

Delacour's Langur, popularly named 'Vooc Mong Trang'

in Vietnamese ('the langur with white rump') on

account of the white colour of its lower body and

upper legs, occurs only in a belt of limestone karst

mountains that stretch across northern Vietnam. This

area, known as the Pu Luong - Cuc Phuong limestone

range, represents the last refuge for the species

whose populations are estimated to have declined by

over 50% in the last ten years alone.

 

The population of Delacour's Langur in the wild is

believed to have dwindled to a mere 300 animals. Only

two of the known sub-populations comprise as many as

30-35 animals. One exists in Van Long Provincial

Nature Reserve, located in Gia Vien District in Ninh

Binh Province. The second has been confirmed in Pu

Luong Provincial Nature Reserve by the newly reported

sightings in the wild.

 

Tilo Nadler, Director of the EPRC, which was founded

ten years ago specifically to promote efforts to

conserve the Delacour's Langur, believes the latest

sightings offer additional hope for the survival of

the species. However, he notes that much remains to be

done to prevent extinction of the langur in the wild.

'Over half of all populations of the langurs are

severely threatened by hunting, which represents the

greatest short term threat to the primate.

Additionally, habitat loss and further fragmentation

of the remaining populations makes them extremely

vulnerable to extinction'.

 

Programmes to strengthen law enforcement and educate

the local people are urgently required. Stricter

enforcement of existing anti-hunting and forest

protection laws, and prosecution of offenders, is a

necessity. Measures to control firearms and the

rampant trade in wildlife for meat and medicine will

be especially necessary for the success of efforts to

conserve the species.

 

The Pu Luong - Cuc Phuong Conservation Project (see

notes for Editors) is working to support the efforts

of the Forest Protection Department and their locally

based rangers, who at present lack the capacity to

effectively protect all the sub-populations. The

project also aims to raise local awareness of the

species' plight, as its survival will depend heavily

on gaining the support of all local and national

authorities as well as local communities.

 

Notes for Editors

 

For further information contact:

 

Hoang Lan Huong,

Communications Officer

Fauna & Flora International, Vietnam Programme

# 55, To Hien Thanh, Hanoi, Vietnam

Tel: + 84 (0) 4 978 4470/71

Fax: + 84 (0) 4 978 4440

Email: huong.lan.hoang or

vietnam

Web: www.fauna-flora.org

 

For further information and print resolution pictures,

contact:

 

Endangered Primate Rescue Center

Cuc Phuong National Park Nho Quan District, Ninh Binh

Province, Vietnam

Tel.: + 84 (0) 30 848 002

Fax: + 84 (0) 30 848 008

Email: t.nadler

Website: www.primatecenter.org

 

& #65399; Delacour's Langur, Trachypithecus delacouri,

was first discovered in 1930 near Hoi Xuan commune,

Quan Hoa district, north-west Thanh Hoa province, by

J. Delacour and W. Lowe. The genus Trachypithecus is

the most widespread genus of Asian langur and occurs

from India to Vietnam to Sumatra. Six taxa belonging

to the genus occur in Vietnam, two of which are

endemic to the country, Delacour's Langur T. delacouri

and Cat Ba Langur T. poliocephalus.

 

& #65399; Delacour's Langur is distinguished from all

other Asian langurs by its white cheek bands, its

thickly furred tail, and the white body colouration

extending from the lower back to just above the knees

which gives the langur the appearance of wearing a

pair of white shorts. Its common name in Vietnamese

'Vooc Mong Trang' is based on this appearance ('the

langur with white rump').

 

& #65399; Delacour's Langur is found only in the Pu

Luong - Cuc Phuong limestone range (PL-CP). The PL-CP

limestone range is located in north-central Vietnam

and encompasses the border areas shared by the Thanh

Hoa, Hoa Binh and Ninh Binh provinces. The limestone

range is characterised by extensive limestone karst

areas, and contains one of the largest remaining areas

of lowland limestone forest in northern Vietnam. The

limestone karst itself comprises a plateau formed by

Cuc Phuong (National Park) in the east and two ridges

running north-west to south-east that taper towards

one another before meeting at the western end of Pu

Luong Nature Reserve in north-west Thanh Hoa. A

smaller limestone ridge does extend further westwards

of the main limestone landscape to a large area of

limestone massif north of Son La province. There is no

evidence that Delacour's Langur occurs in this latter

area.

 

& #65399; The most recent status review of Delacour's

Langur suggests that 19 subpopulations, comprising

49-53 groups and 270-302 animals of the species remain

in the wild. Figures of animals known to have been

hunted (which are doubtlessly incomplete), alone

indicate that populations of Delacour's Langur may

have declined by 50-55% over the last ten years. As a

result, Delacour's Langur qualifies as 'Critically

Endangered' (CR A2cd+3cd; C2a (i)), according to

latest 'Red List' criteria laid down by the World

Conservation Union (IUCN). This also means that a

further population decline of 80% is predicted to

occur within the next ten years, due either to a

decline in range, available habitat, or as a result of

exploitation, or both. As such, Delacour's Langur is

among the world's top 25 most endangered primates.

 

& #65399; Isolation of remaining populations and

intense hunting pressure pose the most severe

short-term threat to the survival of the species in

the wild. 60% of all known Delacour's Langur occur in

isolated sub-populations, with a maximum of 20 animals

per sub-population. Such small populations are

extremely sensitive and vulnerable. Without strict

management and protection, their loss, and

subsequently the loss of 60% of the known population,

is foreseeable. The long term existence of these

populations is also doubtful for genetic reasons. A

further 55% of the known population is also considered

particularly vulnerable to hunting pressure.

 

& #65399; Only two solitary sub-populations comprising

30-35 animals, the necessary to survive, are currently

known. These exist in Van Long Provincial Nature

Reserves, which is located in Gia Vien district in

Ninh Binh Province, and, Pu Luong Provincial Nature

Reserve, the site of the most recent sightings in the

wild, which is located in the Quan Hoa and Ba Thuoc

districts of north-west Thanh Hoa province.

 

& #65399; The current status of Delacour's Langur on

the ground and alarming levels of hunting within the

PL-CP range indicate that the species stands on the

brink of global extinction. To address this situation,

a variety of measures are urgently required. Effective

measures to control rampant wildlife trade and use of

firearms are crucial to success of all efforts to

conserve the species. Education campaigns are required

to generate awareness of the species plight and

motivation towards its protection among local

authorities and communities within the limestone

range. Stricter enforcement of anti-hunting and forest

protection laws and subsequent prosecution of

offenders also represent a necessity. However, as

protection of all subpopulations exceeds the capacity

of forest protection departments and ranger stations

at present, efforts to conserve the species will

depend heavily on strong support from other local

authorities.

 

& #65399; The most recent sightings of Delacour's

Langur were obtained in biological surveys carried out

under the auspices of the Pu Luong - Cuc Phuong

Limestone Landscape Conservation Project in

collaboration with the Endangered Primate Rescue

Center, of the Frankfurt Zoological Society. The Pu

Luong - Cuc Phuong (PL-CP) Limestone Landscape

Conservation Project is managed by the Fauna and Flora

International - Vietnam Programme and the Forest

Protection Department of the Ministry of Agriculture

and Rural Development, Vietnam. The project is funded

by the Global Environment Facility of the World Bank

and the Spanish Agency for International Co-operation,

through Fundeso. Its aim is promote protection of the

Pu Luong-Cuc Phuong limestone range and its wildlife

by strengthening management of the existing protected

area system and supporting sustainable development

initiatives within local communities.

 

& #65399; Fauna & Flora International (FFI), the

world's longest established international conservation

body, works to conserve threatened species and

ecosystems worldwide, choosing solutions that are

sustainable, are based on sound science and take

account of human needs. FFI works with in-country

organizations at all levels to support them in

identifying and implementing country-led sustainable

solutions.

 

& #65399; The Endangered Primate Rescue Center (EPRC)

at Cuc Phuong National Park was founded in 1993 as a

follow on initiative to the Cuc Phuong National Park

Conservation Programme, which was initially

established at the site in 1991 with the support of

the Frankfurt Zoological Society. The EPRC is

dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, breeding,

research and conservation of the endangered primates

of Vietnam and also serves as an excellent place for

people to learn about endangered primates, their life,

their habitats and the need to protect them for the

future. Among other supporters, the EPRC enjoys

support from the Frankfurt Zoological Society, which

currently supervises more than 80 conservation

interventions in 30 countries worldwide.

 

References

 

1. Nadler, T., Momberg, F., Nguyen Xuan Dang & Lormee,

N. 2003. Vietnam Primate Conservation Status Review

2002. Part 2: Leaf Monkeys. Fauna & Flora

International Vietnam Program and Frankfurt Zoological

Society. Hanoi. Pp. 69-88.

 

2. IUCN. 2003. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

IUCN website http://www.redlist.org/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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