The Nam Cat Tien area is the most important and best-preserved part of the tropical rainforest of Southeast Asia, in Vietnam. The European Breeding Programme supports the conservation programme in Cuc Phuong National Park, home to the primate research centre.
Gibbons are severely endangered, with some species facing extinction. Only 5,500 gibbons remain in the wild in Vietnam. They are most threatened by the loss and degradation of their natural environment due to illegal logging and the conversion of land for agriculture and road networks. They are also threatened by illegal hunting for meat, the pet trade and the use of their body parts in traditional Asian medicine.
Project to conserve northern yellow-cheeked gibbons (Nomascus annamensis)
Only around 800 northern yellow-cheeked gibbons remain in Vietnam. The species has only recently been described and is little known, so additional field research is urgently needed. The conservation project for northern yellow-cheeked gibbons is being carried out in Kon Ka Kinh National Park, a 42,000-hectare forest reserve in central Vietnam that is home to the largest known population of this species.
How are the gibbons being protected?
A long-term observation and monitoring programme for northern yellow-cheeked gibbons has been set up in Kon Ka Kinh National Park, with the aim of determining their numbers. Forest rangers are being trained and equipped. Through an environmental education programme, local people are encouraged to recognise the importance of gibbons in the natural environment and the urgency of their conservation. This work is carried out in cooperation with local schools and media. Knowledge about gibbons is spread around the world through scientific publications and an informative educational film.
A strong partnership
The conservation project for northern yellow-cheeked gibbons, launched in 2016, is the result of cooperation between the Species Conservation Foundation (Stiftung Artenschutz) and the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) and is embedded within the "Forest Conservation in the Central Vietnamese Highlands" programme, which has been running since 2010. Its aim is to protect an environment rich in animal and plant species.
The Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) is a non-profit conservation organisation with its headquarters in Frankfurt. It operates worldwide and persistently champions the conservation of biodiversity and the preservation of wilderness (www.fzs.org).
The Species Conservation Foundation (Stiftung Artenschutz) is a joint initiative of many European zoos and conservation organisations. The foundation's aim is to safeguard highly endangered animal species and their natural environments around the world (www.stiftung-artenschutz.de). The northern yellow-cheeked gibbon conservation project also operates thanks to the significant support of the European zoo analyst Anthony Sheridan.
