Hundreds of Rare Gibbons Found in Vietnam

Recently, research scientists exposed that over two-thirds of the world’s population of the northern white-cheeked crested gibbons are presently living in dense forest and remote area of Vietnam, as being inaccessible from human populations. This rare species of gibbon are thought to have declined up to 80 per cent in the past 45 years. On the whole, 25 gibbon species are threatened widely in the world. Previously, these gibbons were protected by the strict terrain but now due to hunting, habitat loss and assumed medicinal value of primate body parts make their protection one of the major issue. Moreover, as per the CI, to increase patrols on the Vietnam-Laos border authority made a plan to build a road through the Pu Mat area. This situation also poses a "serious threat" to the future of the rare primates. So that if direct protection is not provided to Pu Mat National Park, then Vietnam will lose this rare species in the near future.

Usually, gibbons are territorial and communicate their limits with elaborate, loud and prolonged vocalizations. Conservationists had listened to a lively morning call of primates by auditory survey. This technique uses the species loud morning calls in support of their identification. By this recording process, data was collected on the gibbon groups in the surveyed part and used to verify group numbers across the park. New auditory sampling surveys have revealed that Pu Mat is home to 130 gibbon groups. Also, they mentioned in their result that overall populations of these northern white-cheeked crested gibbons critically endangered are roughly 455 individuals. This most recent discovery gives great expectation for the future of this unique primate.

Previously, Conservation International also had been searching for the rare primates since 2008, but they found only a few spotted groups until now. As per the scientists concern, this discovery of such a large and rare gibbon population may signify that the species has a better chance of long-term survival.

Video of Amazing footage of the cao vit gibbons from youtube: