Since the Government’s decision on action plan for the protection of the primate species in Vietnam was issued in 2017, a total of 684 endangered douc langurs, including 86 grey-shanked douc langurs (Pygathrix cinerea), one of the world’s 25 Critically Endangered primates, have been captured by rangers and authorities in 80 illegal hunting and wildlife trafficking cases.
An individual grey-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix cinerea), one of the world’s 25 Critically Endangered primates, is found living in a forest of Quang Nam Province. (Photo courtesy of Ai Tam)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - 🌳Since the Government’s decision on action plan for theprotection of the primate species in Vietnam was issued in 2017, a total of 684 endangered douc langurs,including 86 grey-shanked douc langurs (Pygathrixcinerea), one of the world’s 25 Critically Endangered primates, havebeen captured by rangers and authorities in 80 illegal hunting andwildlife trafficking cases.
However, a report by theENV, an NGO focused on wildlife protection, showed that only 30 per centof total poaching violations in Vietnam were discovered, while 70 per cent wereunknown, meaning that the number of the langurs hunted in the forest wasunclear. Biologists,conservationists and experts shared the report at a conference on theconservation activities on endangered primates in the central provinces QuangNam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Gia Lai and Kon Tum,and discussed further actions from 2025 to 2030. They agreed that illegalwildlife hunting, the expansion of coffee and log farms, poor management andplanning on the protection of the primates species in the six provinceshad been raising threats to the conservation of endangered primates. Expert Ha Thang Long, head of therepresentative office of the Frankfurt Zoological Society in Vietnam, saidurgent action was needed for more effective protection of the langurs frombecoming extinct in the six provinces where from 2,200 to2,500 individuals are living in the primary forest or strictly protectednature reserves. Areport from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development unveiled that thecentral region lost 34,000ha of forest due to illegal logging and landclearance for coffee, rubber and acacia plantations. The forested area haddropped by 180,000ha, of which 112,000ha had been destroyed or occupied by theexpansion of other crop plantations, and 37,000ha for building hydropowerplants and roads between 2010-15, the report detailed./.
The newly-spotted groups of rare animals include the grey-shanked douc langur, northern yellow-cheeked gibbon, Owston's palm civet, Asian black bear, pygmy slow loris, otter, wildcat and many others.
Efforts are being made toward a goal of expanding the habitat of the grey-shanked douc langur in central Quang Nam province’s Nui Thanh district to 150ha by 2030.
A Delacour’s langur baby has been born after its parents were released into the wild on Ngoc Island in Ninh Binh’s Trang An Landscape Complex last year.
Floodwater levels in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta are high and will continue to rise this month, especially in upstream areas, according to the hydraulic works management and construction department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Conservation efforts to restore habitat and boost the population of red-crowned cranes in Tram Chim National Park are finally showing progress, with the cranes and many other rare wild birds coming back to the park.
Torrential rains from the night of July 31 to early August 1 triggered flash floods and landslides across several communes in Dien Bien province, leaving at least two people dead and eight others missing.
Transitioning to a circular economy not only offers a sustainable development path for Ho Chi Minh City but also serves as a pivotal step toward establishing a fully green economy.
An exhibition featuring 100 green, recycled, and circular economy models and products from 50 businesses and educational establishments took place in Ho Chi Minh City on July 31, as part of the local green transition forum and recycle day 2025.
Regional solidarity and cooperation are the key factor for the effective implementation of wildlife protection regulations. Only through sustainable cooperation, innovative approaches, and collective action can biodiversity be safeguarded for the present and future generations, an Vietnamese official has said.
Hanoi has approved a comprehensive plan to restore the environmental quality and develop four major urban rivers – the To Lich, Kim Nguu, Lu, and Set reverine environments.
The Javan pangolin is listed in Vietnam’s Red Book as critically endangered and is protected under Group IB – a category reserved for forest species facing an extremely high risk of extinction and requiring strict conservation measures.
As a key member of the core group of 18 countries, initiated by Vanuatu, Vietnam engaged in advocating for the UN General Assembly’s Resolution N.77/276, requesting for the ICJ’s advisory opinion. Following the resolution's adoption, Vietnam fully participated in all procedural steps for the first time, from submitting written proposals to presenting directly at the court’s hearings.
The wild elephant population in Da Nang includes a full developed herb of mature males, females, and calves. To date, the herd has grown to nine individuals.
Conservation efforts here have become a model, helping to save millions of turtle hatchlings and promoting Con Dao as a member of the Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia Turtle Site Network.
As part of its drive to fulfil its net zero emissions commitment by 2050, Vietnam is fast-tracking the development of a legal corridor to launch a pilot carbon market by the end of 2025, according to the Department of Climate Change.
Under the plan, from 2025 to 2026, the city will complete mechanisms and policies to support businesses in switching to green vehicles, expand the electric and green-energy bus network, and build charging stations. The targeted proportion of green buses is set at 10% in 2025 and 20–23% in 2026.
Storm Comay, the fourth in the East Sea this year, was at around 16.7 degrees North and 118.3 degrees East, in the east of the East Sea's northern waters as of 4am on July 24.
The disaster risk warning level for flash floods, landslides, and ground subsidence due to heavy rains and flows is rated at level 1, except in Nghe An, where it is raised to level 2.
An individual grey-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix cinerea), one of the world’s 25 Critically Endangered primates, is found living in a forest of Quang Nam Province. (Photo courtesy of Ai Tam) 
