The baby grey langur is taken care at Cúc Phương National Park in northern Ninh Bình Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

NINH BÌNH — The Cúc Phương National Park in northern Ninh Bình Province recently received two rare grey langurs from the Forest Protection Department of central Thánh Hóa Province, its official said on Wednesday.

They were previously discovered by a local man in Lang Chánh District, Thanh Hóa Province. He later contacted the district’s forest protection unit to hand them over.

The primates are scientifically named Trachypithecus crepusculus and protected under Decree No.06/2019/NĐ-CP and Decree 84/2021/NĐ-CP on the amendments and supplements to several articles of Decree No. 06/2019/NĐ-CP on the management of endangered, precious and rare forest plants and animals and implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

The primates have been moved to a special quarantine area for doctors to take care of them.

The baby primate is believed to be 4-5 months old and weighs around 1kg. It is identified as a male primate, which is very useful in the conservation and breeding of this species in the future, according to the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre.

Nguyễn Mạnh Cường, Head of the Science and International Cooperation of the Cúc Phương National Park and co-director of the park's Conservation Project of Precious and Rare Primates of Việt Nam, said this was the first time the centre rescued and recieved a male grey langur. 

Experts would strive to take care and help this male primate develop as it would be a very precious and rare source of genes for the development of this species in the future, he said. 

The rescue centre now cares for six female and one male grey langur.

According to experts from the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre, there are currently about 500 grey langurs in the wild. — VNS