ABOUT 25 different primate species out of 44 found in Vietnam call the Greater Mekong home, but these unique species are increasingly threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, hunting and illegal trade.
A new World Wildlife Fund report titled “Primates of the Greater Mekong: Status, Threats and Conservation Efforts” highlights the amazing diversity of lorises, macaques, langurs and gibbons that live in the five Greater Mekong countries: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
The profiled species include the skywalker hoolock gibbon, which was described as a new species in 2017, and the Popa langur, which was only described as a new species in 2020.
The 44 primate species found in the region, 19 of which are endemic, are a testament to the amazing biodiversity of the region, but their conservation status is a stark reminder of the grave threats they face.
Deforestation, habitat degradation and hunting driven by the wildlife trade have forced many primates in the Greater Mekong to the brink of extinction.
One-quarter of the species are classified as critically endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, while about half are categorised as endangered.
Vietnam is home to five endemic primate species, all of which are included in the list of the world’s 25 most critically endangered species.
The latest Red List assessments show an increased extinction risk for a quarter of the primates compared to the previous assessments in 2008, while the rest showed no reduction in their extinction risk.
Primates from this region are not only losing their precious habitat at an alarming rate, but they are also severely threatened by the wildlife trade – both legal and illegal.
Their meat is sold as food, parts are traded as traditional medicine, and live animals are marketed as pets or props for tourist selfies.
In Vietnam, although all primate species are protected by law, hunting, illegal captivity and trading are the primary causes for a decrease in primate populations.
The number of primates in the legal wildlife trade – often for use in biomedical research and pharmaceutical testing – has been on the increase, with the legal trade in primates estimated to be worth US$138mil (RM578mil) in 2015.
Furthermore, research has predicted that all apes and Asian and African monkey species are at high risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2.
Zoonotic diseases – which have their origins in animals and are often caused by the frequent and unsafe contact between wildlife and humans in the trade – can then be transmitted back to animals, further threatening their survival.
Rhesus macaques and long-tailed macaques in the Greater Mekong region have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 in laboratories.
Fortunately, many organisations, government agencies and local communities are working tirelessly to protect some of these unique species from disappearing.
The WWF is carrying out surveys in protected areas to monitor primate populations, such as the white-handed gibbons in Nam Poui National Protected Area in Laos, or the Ha Tinh langur in Thich Hoa District of Quang Binh province. — Vietnam News/ANN
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
