A langur was spotted in a local garden in Phú Yên Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

PHÚ YÊN — Three gray-shanked douc langurs, listed as an endangered, precious and rare animal, have recently been spotted in Cẩm Tú Village, Hòa Kiến Commune.

The Forest Protection Department of Tuy Hòa City in the central province of Phú Yên has coordinated with relevant units to raise public awareness of the importance of protecting the gray-shanked douc langurs that appeared recently in the area.

On the morning of February 10, an individual of this kind of primate appeared in the garden of Lê Văn Thành in Cẩm Tú Village. 

Thành 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.

Lê Thanh Tùng, head of Cẩm Tú 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 Phú Yên Province sent an official dispatch to the Phú Yên Forest Protection Department and Tuy Hòa City People’s Committee, requesting cooperation in protecting these rare animals.

On February 10 morning, the Forest Protection Department of Tuy Hòa 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/NĐ-CP dated January 22, 2019 of the Government on management of endangered, rare and precious forest plants and animals, and implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Nguyễn Vĩnh Thành, head of the Forest Protection Department of Tuy Hòa 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 Phú Yên, protective forests in Đồng Xuân District are identified as habitats of gray-shanked douc langurs.

GreenViet 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 Đồng Xuân District in order to have more scientific data for the planning, management and conservation of the species sustainably nationwide. — VNS