On the afternoon of August 17, the Management Board of Nam Quang Tri Special-Use Forest said that a herd of red-shanked douc langurs (Pygathrix nemaeus) was discovered in sub-zone 613, belonging to Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve.
Mr. Nguyen Tan Hieu - Deputy Director of the Southern Quang Tri Special-Use Forest Management Board said that this is the first time the unit has recorded a large number of red-shanked douc langurs at close range, thereby capturing many clear images of this rare primate species.
Notably, the location where the douc langur herd appeared is only about 3km from the residential area. According to Mr. Hieu, the appearance of rare wild animals relatively close to the residential area is a positive sign for forest management, protection and control of wildlife hunting in the area.
The red-shanked douc langur has a characteristic appearance with many colors, often called the "Queen of Primates". This is one of the rare primates with high conservation value in Vietnam.
According to the assessment of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the red-shanked douc langur is at a critically endangered level (CR), facing a very high risk of extinction in nature.
This species is active mainly during the day, most of the time living on the canopy in evergreen and semi-permanent forests. They often live in colonies, their food is mainly leaves, fruits and plant parts.
The discovery of the red-shanked douc langur herd in Bac Huong Hoa adds more data on the presence of rare species in the area, and is also a basis for management units to continue monitoring, protecting habitats and strengthening biodiversity conservation measures.
Illegal hunting and habitat degradation are still identified as major threats to the survival of brown-shanked douc langurs in the wild.
