A gray-shanked douc langur spotted in Phú Yên. VNA/VNS Photo

PHÚ YÊN — Authorities in south-central Phú Yên Province and GreenViet Biodiversity Conservation Centre (GreenViet) have proposed many solutions to protect the gray-shanked douc langurs that appeared recently in forest areas in Đồng Xuân District.

Within the framework of a research and conservation programme of the primates in the central and Central Highlands regions, GreenViet, Fauna & Flora International (FFI) in Việt Nam and the provincial Forest Protection Department and Management Board of Đồng Xuân Forest have jointly conducted field surveys and discovered many of the mammals in forest areas in Phú Mỡ Commune.

The surveys, conducted from February 10-15, aimed to collect information on the population, distribution, and habitat of gray-shanked douc langurs.

Members of GreenViet and the management board and locals found eight communities of the primates with 30 individuals and discovered 14 areas with signs of habitation. They estimated that there are about 15-20 herds in the Đồng Xuân District forest.

GreenViet found that forest areas in Đồng Xuân District adjacent to natural forest areas of Kong Chro and Ia Pa districts (the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai) are habitats of gray-shanked douc langurs.

However, the existence of this species is seriously threatened by hunters.

Recently, the Forest Protection Department of Tuy Hòa City has coordinated with relevant units to raise public awareness of the importance of protecting the gray-shanked douc langurs that appeared recently in Cẩm Tú Village, Hòa Kiến Commune.

Green Viet is organising a survey from February 8-13 to additionally study the distribution, quantity and habitat of the primates in Đồng Xuân District forest to get more scientific data for the planning, management and conservation of the species sustainably nationwide. — VNS