Rare sighting of one of the world’s most endangered primates

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Rare sighting of one of the world’s most endangered primates

15/07/2009

Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys spotted in forests of northern Vietnam by local community conservation team.

A new ‘Community Conservation Team’ that FFI helped set up and train in May has sighted the incredibly rare and elusive Tonkin snub-nosed monkey - on its first ever patrol of the forest!

Six members of the local community from the Quan Ba district of Vietnam have been engaged by FFI as conservation rangers. Its all part of FFI’s philosophy that conservation works best when driven by local people.

This approach is already paying off in Tonkin snub-nosed monkey habitat, as, extra keen to begin their first forest patrols, the new rangers observed a group of four monkeys including a baby last month.

It is a rare sighting indeed as only around 200 remain of this species, classified as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Endangered Species.

The sighting has generated a lot of interest and excitement for the team, whose main focus is to raise awareness and collect information on the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey. The team is made up of a border police and local villagers supervised by the district Forest Protection Department.

This sighting raises hope for the survival of this particular population, which was only discovered living here by FFI in 2008. It is a positive step in instilling pride among the local communities to help conserve this rare species.

Fauna & Flora International needs donations to help fund the valuable work of community rangers in its projects around the world.

If you believe we should do whatever we can to save beautiful species like this from extinction, please give what you can today.

FFI Communications Contact:
Rebecca Foges
FFI Communications Officer
Tel: +44 (0)1223 579 491
rebecca.foges@fauna-flora.org

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