The largest Primate Symposium in Asia, hosted by Vietnam National University of Forestry and organized in cooperation with ‘Three Monkeys Wildlife Conservancy’, will take place from November 13 to 16, 2022 in Hanoi with the participation of more than 200 delegates and scientists, including 90 international delegates from more than 20 countries in the region and around the world.
Among the countries of Southeast Asia, Vietnam has the highest number of primates with 24 species and 26 taxa, followed by Laos with 18 species, Thailand and Myanmar with 17 species each, and Cambodia with 13 species. However, Vietnam also has the highest number of threatened primate species. Twenty-two species, or 90%, are threatened with extinction, of which 10 species (42%) are ‘Critically Endangered’ and at risk of extinction, including the three species endemic to Vietnam, the Delacour’s langur (Trachypithecus delacouri), the Cat Ba langur (Trachypithecus poliocephalus) and the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus avunculus). The Cat Ba Langur is the rarest colobine species in the world with less than 70 individuals, followed by the other two Vietnamese endemics which consist of less than 300 individuals per species. Since 1990, two primate species have been discovered in Vietnam and scientifically described, the grey-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix cinereal) and the northern yellow-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus annamensis). Four species whose existence was unconfirmed were rediscovered, the Delacour’s langur, the Hatinh langur (Trachypithecus hatinhensis), including the black morph of this species, the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey, and the eastern black gibbon (Nomascus nasutus). Like many other wildlife species, primates are threatened with extinction due to illegal hunting, illegal trade, and shrinking habitat. Therefore, the symposium was organized with the purpose of creating a forum for primate experts to discuss information, ways to develop primate systems and conservation in Vietnam and Asia.
The symposium provides primate experts and stakeholders a place to share their research findings, views and ideas regarding diverse topics as ecology, taxonomy, and conservation… In addition, this event also promotes cooperation between the network of representatives and partners to find new sources of funding and opportunities to develop joint projects.
Within the framework of the symposium, attendees will be given a first-hand insight into the Vietnam’s unique rich primate fauna and their conservation. Thereby, the delegates will visit the Endangered Primate Rescue Center (EPRC) and Van Long Nature Reserve, where conservation efforts and challenges are presented.
CBES is very pleased to have the opportunity to participate in this symposium. With the participation of many delegates who are experts and scientists across Vietnam and the world, it is hoped that the symposium will find solutions to preserve primates in Vietnam and in the world.
