This is one of the few endangered species in Vietnam showing signs of recovery.
The conservation area management board reports that, as of December 2013, the world’s largest population of Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys has grown to 108-113 individuals, the largest number ever recorded.
The species inhabits only certain isolated forests in northern Vietnam. Statistics from Fauna and Flora International (FFI) show that there are about 200-250 individuals worldwide, and that they are in danger of extinction due to hunting and habitat loss.
In 2002, the FFI discovered a population of 60 individuals in Khau Ca forest in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang. Accounting for half of the species’ total population, Khau Ca area plays an important role in preservation efforts.
Since 2008, with funding and support from FFI programmes, the conservation area has collaborated with the local government and people living in conservation areas to establish protected areas to preserve and observe the existence and development of one of the world’s 25 most endangered primates.
Hoang Van Tue, head of the preservation team under the Ha Giang provincial Forest Protection Department, said that the positive result resulted from the joint efforts of Ha Giang FPD and international organisations including the FFI, the University of Colorado-Boulder and Denver Zoo. The newborn individuals observed at the site signal a brighter future for the species.
Dr. Benjamin Rawson, an expert from the FFI, said that as of this moment, this is one of the few endangered species in Vietnam that has shown signs of recovery, proving that declining wildlife populations can be restored with the strong commitment and participation of local authorities and communities.
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A Rhinopithecus avunculus individual (Credit: FFI)
