On the morning of February 10, an individual of this kind of primate appeared in the garden of Le Van Thanh in Cam Tu village.
Thanh said three individuals that appear to be the gray-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix cinerea) have been observed in residential areas in the village since December last year. They recently showed up in the village again between 9am - 5pm.
Le Thanh Tung, head of Cam Tu village, said after receiving information from locals about the presence of the primates in the village, village authorities asked local residents not to hunt them.
On February 9, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Phu Yen province sent an official dispatch to the Phu Yen Forest Protection Department and Tuy Hoa City People’s Committee, requesting cooperation in protecting these rare animals.
On February 10 morning, the Forest Protection Department of Tuy Hoa city coordinated with local authorities to inspect and observe the activities of those animals in the locality.
The gray-shanked douc langur, that has the scientific name Pygathrix cinerea, is an endangered, precious and rare animal. This particular species belongs to the IB group. The animal is therefore protected under Decree No. 06/2019/ND-CP dated January 22, 2019 of the Government on management of endangered and precious forest plants and animals, rarity and implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Nguyen Vinh Thanh, head of the Forest Protection Department of Tuy Hoa city, has asked local authorities and locals to follow the movement of the animals, thus taking appropriate measures to manage and protect the species.
According to GreenViet Biodiversity Conservation Center (GreenViet), in Phu Yen, protective forests in Dong Xuan district are identified as habitats of gray-shanked douc langurs.
Green Viet is organising a survey from February 8-13 to additionally study the distribution, number and habitat of the gray-shanked douc langur in protective forests of Dong Xuan district in order to have more scientific data for the planning, management and conservation of the species sustainably nationwide.
