Co Lau Deo, from A Ting Commune, bought the primate from a local person last month. The primate looked weak, so he brought it home to take care of it, according to Dinh Viet Khanh, head of the forest management unit.

After the primate’s health improved, Deo decided to hand it over to the local authorities for better care.

“The primate is still small and has got used to living with humans, so it will face problems if it is immediately released in the forest. Therefore, local forest rangers will continue raising it for a short period before releasing it in the wild,” Khanh told VnExpress online newspaper.

The primate is listed in the IIB group as endangered in the Red Book of Viet Nam and is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List of Threatened Species.

It can also be found in Laos and Cambodia, according to IUCN.

Hunting is a major threat to the species, most often used for subsistence and traditional medicines. It is also sold in the international pet trade. Destruction of its natural habitat is another threat to the species, according to IUCN. — VNS