Vietnam’s vanishing primates hanging on by a thread amidst a diminishing habitat
Vietnam’s dense forests and karst mountains are some of the most important habitats for primate conservation in the world.
They are home to 25 primate species, of which 11 are critically endangered and five can be found nowhere else on Earth, such as the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey, red-shanked douc langur and western black-crested gibbon.
And their numbers are shockingly low – the Cat Ba langur, for example, numbers only 50-60 individuals in the wild.
Because of habitat fragmentation and illegal wildlife trade, they are perilously close to extinction. They could be totally lost from the planet, forever.
Our actions in the next few years will decide that.
So please – help them – donate now, and give these amazing primates a home they can thrive in.
£95
could help buy a drone, enabling rangers to monitor signs of danger at a safe distance.
Using modern technologies, like GPS, helps to monitor species. IPTC - Credit © Juan Pablo Moreiras / Fauna & Flora International
£45
could help pay for GPS kit, helping rangers to track down primates and coordinate their protective actions.
£30
could pay for waterproof coats and trousers, enabling rangers to move throughout the stormy season.
£10
could pay for a pair of binoculars, enabling rangers to spot primates in the canopy.
Why are Vietnamese primates under threat?
Vietnam’s primates are facing extinction primarily due to deforestation and habitat fragmentation, especially from forest clearance for plantations, and limestone quarrying for cement production.
Another major threat to these primates is hunting for wild meat or for their body parts for use in traditional medicine. They are also captured from the wild and illegally traded across the globe to be sold as exotic pets.
Given the long list of threats, it is likely that within the next few years it could be too late to save the most sensitive remaining primate species unless urgent action is taken.
Please donate now before these incredibly diverse species are lost for good.
Grey-shanked douc langur. Credit: Nguyen Van Truong / Fauna & Flora
Vietnam hosts many of the most endangered animals on the planet, including primates whose numbers are fewer than there are keys on your keyboard.
What is Fauna & Flora doing to protect Vietnamese primates?
Fauna & Flora is working with local authorities in Vietnam to establish new reserves to secure currently unprotected populations of primates. We have developed action plans for the conservation of these species, and are working closely with local communities to enact them.
This includes training community-based teams to conduct patrols of the primate’s habitat, monitoring for signs of wildlife, and also for signs of illegal logging and hunting.
They spend around 20 days of every month patrolling the area, reporting any illegal activity that may put wildlife in danger. The crucial information that is collected on these patrols is essential to inform future conservation decisions.
We are working closely with government agencies and other local partners to halt the cement mining that poses a clear and present danger to the karst limestone habitat on which some of these species depend for survival.
But there is much more to be done to protect these extremely fragile primate populations. We need your help to train and equip more community rangers to patrol and protect Vietnam’s crucial forest’s and karst mountains, and make them a safe home where primates can thrive.
How will my donation help save Vietnamese primates?
Your donation could help train local community-based conservation teams and provide them with the equipment they need to monitor primates while patrolling the dense Vietnamese forest.
They face harsh conditions on a daily basis, and need equipment that can withstand these conditions, such as sturdy footwear, raincoats and protective gear.
Your donation could also provide them with the technology they need to conduct patrols, such as phones and power banks for communication, binoculars to spot primates among the tree canopy, and GPS units to track both their own location and that of the wildlife they encounter.
You could support awareness-raising activities with local communities on the threats facing Vietnam’s primates, and encourage them to get involved in primate conservation.
Please donate now to support this species-saving work.
Vietnam forest. © Oliver Wearn / Fauna & Flora
Local people who grew up near these primates would move mountains to protect them - but it's your support that makes all the difference for them when they're patrolling day-in, day-out.
Why Fauna & Flora?
Fauna & Flora is committed to safeguarding the future of the entire spectrum of species that make up Vietnam’s astonishing primate diversity. We’ve been working in Vietnam for over 20 years, and we are well known for our leading role in protecting the country’s critically endangered primates.
It isn’t too late to save these primates, and we know what needs to be done, but we need your support to do it.
Please donate now.
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