Vietnam central city to preserve endangered monkey
16:05 04/03/2009

      Relevant agencies in Danang City will petition for the foundation of a sanctuary meant for the endangered red-shanked douc langur species.

The Son Tra Peninsula’s Nature Reserve and the city Forestry Department said they are preparing administrative formalities to get the municipal administration’s approval of the sanctuary.

There are about 198 of the langurs [scientific name Pygathrix nemaeus] still living in the habitat.

The species, listed as endangered in the World Conservation Union's 'Red Book', numbers only in the hundreds or low thousands and now found only in Vietnam and Laos.

With its orange face, white 'whiskers,' maroon legs and silver-tinged back, the Red-shanked Douc is one of the most colorful of Vietnam's endangered langurs, a tree-dwelling species of monkeys with tails as long as their bodies and a penchant for branch-to-branch acrobatics.

Reported by Phuong Thao – Translated by Tuong Nhi

Source : thanhniennews.com