Chuck Kuhn's Asia in Photos: Rare langur found in Vietnam's northern highlands | Look At Vietnam

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Rare langur found in Vietnam's northern highlands | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

A Francois' Langur and its babies found in the northern highlands province of Thai Nguyen.

Vietnamese scientists are going to announce the discovery of a rare langur species in the northernl highlands province of Thai Nguyen, a local official told Thanh Nien.

According to Ngo Xuan Hai, chief of the provincial Forest Rangers Agency, a group of researchers discovered a herd of eight Francois’ Langurs (Trachypithecus francoisi) towards the end of last year at the Than Sa – Phuong Hoang Nature Reserve.

The research team comprised agency staff as well as lecturers of theÂ Thai NguyenÂ University of Forestry, Hai said.

Also known as Francois’ Leaf Monkey, the primateÂ was found in 23 different countries with a total population size of 2,000-2,500 individuals before 1990.

But hunting had dramatically decreaed its populationÂ to justÂ Vietnam and China. However, the total number ofÂ this monkey speciesÂ in the wild is unknown.

The monkey is listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Reported by Tho Phuoc

No comments:

Post a Comment

They say "

“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.