Located in a region dominated by a tropical monsoon climate, Vietnamis home to some of the world’s rarest wildlife species, including 26primate species and sub-species, which play a crucial role in culturallife and scientific research.

However, key primatespecies, such as the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey in northern Ha Giang andTuyen Quang provinces, and the white-headed langur on Cat Ba island inHai Phong city, are facing extinction due to poaching, trafficking andhabitat loss.

A lack of food and genetic problemstriggered by human encroachment into their natural habitats, includingthe transmission of human diseases, are also partly responsible forreducing the species’ reproductive abilities and survival chances.

Therefore, the development of a long-term strategy and legal frameworkis urgently needed to protect the primates and allow their populationsto recover.

It is also necessary to set up animalrescue centres and conservation sites, as well as investing more inscientific research and increasing public awareness of the need toprotect wildlife and the environment.

At the sametime, it is advisable to develop sustainable ecological andcommunity-based tourism models and allocate sufficient financial sourcesfor the conservation of these species.

Vietnamesescientists discovered two new primate species, the gray-shanked douclangur and the northern buffed cheeked gibbon, as recent as 2007 and2010.

The country has established a system ofprotected areas and special-use forests, spanning 2.2 million ha in 30national parks and 114 nature reserves.

Establishedin 1993, the endangered primate rescue centre based in Cuc PhuongNational Park , Ninh Binh province, has rescued over 260 individuals,successfully bred 240 offspring and released more than 50 primates backinto the wild.

Similar centres are run inHo Chi Minh City’s outlying district Cu Chi and at Cat Tien NationalPark in southern Dong Nai province.-VNA