Kien Giang (VNA) ⛄– As many as 21 animals and one plant in the southern province of Kien Giang have been classified as endangered species that need to be better protected, according to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The threatened species include the hopea pierrei (Phu Quoc district), flying lemur, white-cheeked douc langur, European otter, sirenia, great hornbill, king cobra, yellow-cheeked gibbon, sun bear, Asian black bear (Hon Dat district), sunda slow loris, pygmy slow loris, hawksbill sea turtle, olive ridley sea turtle (Hon Dat and Phu Quoc districts), hairy-nosed otter, fishing cat, darter and woolly-necked stork (U Minh Thuong district), oriental small-clawed otter, sunda pangolin, lesser adjutant and sarus crane (Hon Dat and Giang Thanh districts). The province needs to set up scientific research and preservation programmes with the involvement of State and local authorities, aiming to manage and protect endangered species while conserving biodiversity, said Department Vice Director Quang Trong Thao. The provincial authorities also detected some species belonging to primates, testudines and squamata and recommended them be added to the list of rare animals that need prioritised protection. That list comprises the crab-eating macaque (Hon Dat and Phu Quoc districts), macaca nemestrina, Mekong snail-eating turtle, yellow-headed temple turtle, Bengal monitor (Hon Dat district) and Indochina silver langur (Kien Luong district). Vietnam’s first safari zoo, featuring more than 150 rare and endangered species, opened late last year on Phu Quoc Island. The zoo’s unique natural environment is also home to 200 flamingoes, 100 rhinos and 60 giraffes. It is the only place in Vietnam breeding large numbers of wildlife herds. The safari zoo will strengthen wildlife preservation and environmental protection through scientific research conducted in the park.-VNA