Local residents and rangers patrol to protect of herd of gray-shanked douc langurs in Nui Thanh district of Quang Nam province. Human activities near the primates were banned.(Photo: VNA)Quang Nam (VNS/VNA) - Strict protection and limitedhuman contact, as well as constant patrols, have remained in place for theprotection of a herd of gray-shanked douc langurs (pygathrix cinerea) – acritically endangered species – living in Dong Co village of Tam My Tay commune.
A source from the local rangers told Vietnam News on April8 that check-points were set up to control travel among residents andpeople from neighbouring areas during the 14-day social distancing order issuedto prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nguyen Danh, a volunteer, said each team member was assignedto patrol the 30ha primary forest – a safe shelter of the endangeredprimates – with local rangers 14 days each month.
“All journeys and health declarations among local residentsand visitors from other provinces passing the area must be carefully checked.Local farmers were warned not to approach log farms, and stay awayfrom langurs,” he said.
“Although living a safe distance from humans, we have stillset up strict control on human activities that would come close to thespecies.”
Dr. Ha Thang Long, head of the Frankfurt Zoological Society,a langur researcher in Vietnam, said wildlife and primate species havetheir own basic protection mechanisms from being infected by the virus.
He said wildlife and primates are usually farfrom human activities, and their resistance could spark immediately when astrange virus infects their bodies.
Long said a tiger in a zoo in New York, the US, was found tobe infected with SARS-CoV-2, but coronavirus infection possibilities amongother species could be tested or checked by specific scientific research.
Recently, the WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF)-Vietnam and theDa Nang-based Centre of Biodiversity Conservation, GreenViet, have been workingtogether on a project to protect the gray-shanked douc langurs in Quang Nam province’sNui Thanh district in 2020.
A herd of 50 gray-shanked douc langurs were found living inthe area from 1997, and it was protected by the local community.
Some 1,000 gray-shanked doucs have been found in forests offive provinces, including Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Kon Tum and Gia Lai.
The gray-shanked douc langur is listed on the InternationalUnion for Conservation of Nature red list as one of the world’s 25 criticallyendangered primates./.
VNA
