The doucs are from different areas and have the same characteristics: they are strays from the fold hunted by illegal poachers, suffering from physical injuries.

Soon after they were discovered, they received help from people and appropriate agencies (forest rangers, the environment police) and were brought to Thao Cam Vien for care.

Since 2016, Thao Cam Vien has received 6 doucs. All of them were brought to the zoo in a poor state and were from outside HCMC.

Of the six cases, Thao Cam Vien rescued, raised and maintained good health of five doucs.

In the first two months of 2017, the zoo rescued two adult doucs from Phu Yen and Gia Lai provinces.

Soon after they were discovered, they received help from people and appropriate agencies (forest rangers, the environment police) and were brought to Thao Cam Vien for care.

In Phu Yen, on February 27, 2017, the rescue team received a red shanked douc from Tuy Hoa City’s Forest Rangers’ Unit. Unfortunately, the douc had died before the rescue team arrived, while the douc's mother was in a bad physical and mental state.

Soon after the douc mother was brought to HCMC, all the best care methods were applied which revived the douc.

The lucky douc quickly adapted to the new living environment and in March the mother gave birth a healthy child. This was praised by Vietnamese and foreign experts, because very few douc raised in captivity can reproduce.

On the special occasion, the leaders of Thao Cam Vien organized a workshop on Vietnam’s douc, gathering prestigious conservation experts in Vietnam and the representatives of the rescue center from Chu Mom Ray National Park in Kon Tum province.

The participants said the success in conserving the rare and precious primate species is attributed to Thao Cam Vien’s readiness to spend money on facilities and allocate resources to the rescue, breeding and care of the animals.

However, problems were also cited, including the geographical distance and limited portable equipment. Besides, facilities are still lacking and not specialized (they are used to rescue many species). It is difficult to seek food specifically for different species in nature.

The representative of Chu Mom Ray National Park Tran Quoc Tuan said the park recently joined forces with Thao Cam Vien to preserve some wild animals such as pangolin, douc, langur and some turtle species.

Mai Lan

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