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VietNamNet Bridge – Scientists climbed up to the mountain in Pu Mat national
park, Nghe an province in the early morning to listen to gibbons’ sounds to
trace them. Finally, they found out more than 400 critically endangered
white-cheeked crested gibbons.
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Rare species of gibbon discovered in Vietnam
How did the CI survey and research white-cheeked crested gibbons in the Pu Mat national park?
The white-cheeked crested gibbon species that was discovered in the Pu Mat national park was not the biggest concern of the CI at the beginning, because at that time that species was considered as another species, with scientific name as Nomascus siki.
In late 2010, a group of German scientists researched genes and sounds of the gibbons in the Pu Mat national park and they concluded that this is the white-cheeked crested gibbon species. Since then the CI focused on researching this critically endangered species by setting up research points at the Pu Mat national park. Finally, we discovered the largest community of white-cheeked crested gibbon species in Vietnam there.
We conducted the survey from 2010 to 2011, with four phases. Survey groups often had two members who are experts from the CI and employees of the Pu Mat national park. We made surveys from the north to the south of the national park within ten consecutive days. Since then we set up research points and went there to collect data.
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Scientists often detect primates by listening to their sounds. We did the same with this species. White-cheeked crested gibbon species often sing in the early morning. The Pu Mat national park is more than 90,000 hectares, so we set up research points randomly to listen to gibbons’ sounds. Each research point is around 6 kilometers from each others.
Daily, we climbed up to the mountain to be present at the research points before 5am to listen to gibbon’s singing. By listening to and analyzing the sound of gibbons, experts could define gibbon individuals.
Gibbons have high sense of territory. Each group often consists of at least two gibbons, including a male and a female. They sing to inform others about their territories. The survey groups counted 445 individuals of 140 groups.
Why does the CI call for strict protection of the white-cheeked crested gibbons?
According to our data, there are around 200 groups of white-cheeked crested gibbons in Vietnam. This is an endemic species which mainly lives in China, Vietnam and Laos. This species is almost extinct in China. This species does not have high economic values but great values in science.
There are around 20 species of primates in Vietnam, including six species of gibbon, distributing from the northwestern to the southern regions. However, their area is being narrowed.
The number of groups is reducing. Each group often includes only one male, one female and a baby. They only deliver baby once a year, with one baby gibbon a time so this species is critically endangered.
Why?
The first reason is they are hunting by man to use as food or pets. Another reason is their living environment is being affected by human’s activities like deforestation.
I know that in the future, a road will be built across the Pu Mat national park. That is the threat for this species because they move from trees to trees. The road will make trees to be thinner, which will affect their movement.
What can we do to protect that species?
First of all, we need to strictly protect the area where gibbons live, ban hunting and deforestation. In addition, the local authorities should have assistance policies to prevent local residents from living on the forest.
I hope that domestic and foreign fauna preservation organizations to pay more attention to protecting white-cheeked crested gibbon species in order to preserve the valuable genetic resources.
VNE
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