Strengthening the protection and recovery of the critically endangered Delacour’s langur (Trachypithecus delacouri) population in Kim Bang, Ha Nam
The Center for Conservation of Nature and Development (CCD) is implementing a program to monitor and conserve endangered primate species in Vietnam. As an important part of the program, the research and the monitoring activities of Delacour’s langur (Trachypithecus delacouri) in Kim Bang forest, Ha Nam province is one of the key operations.
The limestone forest ecosystem of Kim Bang district, Ha Nam province is home to the world’s second most important Delacour’s langur population. In which, the studies of CCD and other organizations had confirmed a population 100 individuals.
As the typical characteristic limestone terrain, surface water is extremely rare which significantly limits study and monitoring effort for the langur in Kim Bang forest. To improve the effective of monitoring effort, CCD and the Kim Bang Protected Department brought and installed water tanks in Kim Bang forest then community monitoring group could stay in the forest longer, especially in the dry season. The water tanks with capacity of 500L to 2,500L were installed in several locations in the forest to store rainwater then monitoring group could set their camp nearby to conduct longer monitoring and more effectively protection to secure the langur and their habitat.
The Center for Nature Conservation and Development is working closely with Ha Nam Forest Protection Department (FPD) and local communities in Kim Bang and Kim Boi (Hoa Binh), and other conservation partners to strengthen the protection and raising public’s awareness of the Delacour’s langur. The activities help to remove threats and help the recovery of the langur populations in Kim Bang and the langur’s greater landscape.