Thomas Geissmann, Nguyen Xuan Dang, Nicolas Lormee & Frank Momberg FAUNA & FEORA INTERNATIONAL, INDOCHINA PROGRAMME HANOI, 2000 INTRODUCTION Primates on the Brink of Extinction The Primate Conservation Status Review, Vietnam 2000 contains alarming findings for the fate of Vietnam's primates. At the beginning of the new millennium, among the many species that could be lost world-wide are mankind's closest relatives, the nonhuman primates. In Vietnam, many primates are either endangered or critically endangered. Three of the four species that are endemic to Vietnam are critically endangered: golden-headed langur Trachypithecus poliocephalus, Delacour's langur T. delacouri, Tonkin snub-nosed Monkey Rhinopithecus avunculus whilst the grey-shanked douc langur Pygathrix nemaeus is data deficient and may well be critically endangered in reality. These four primates are among the most endangered primates on earth. Without rigorous and immediate conservation interventions, these species are facing global extinction. Other primates, such as Western black-crested gibbons Nomascus concolor, are also facing extinction in Vietnam. Amazingly, despite globally increasing rates of deforestation and hunting, there has been no documented extinction of any primate species or sub-species on earth during the last millennium. It is a major challenge for the 21st century to save Vietnam's primates and its contribution to the world's natural heritage. This conservation status review provides detailed recommendations for each species, ranging from research, protected area gazettement, anti-poaching patrols to conservation awareness. The most urgent conservation interventions are: The gazettement of protected areas for the Western black crested gibbon in Mu Cang Chai and Van Ban districts. The continuation of field surveys to find remnant populations of Eastern black crested gibbon in north-western Vietnam and southern China. The development of community-based law enforcement and conservation awareness programmes in priority areas for primate conservation. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS IX CONVENTION X 1. INTRODUCTION 11 PRIMATES ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION 11 BACKGROUND 12 GIBBONS IN VIETNAM 12 PREVIOUS GIBBON SURVEYS IN VIETNAM 13 VIETNAM PRIMATE CONSERVATION STATUS REVIEW 14 METHODS 14 2. GIBBONS (FAMILY: HYLOBATIDAE) 16 2.1 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE GIBBONS (FAMILY HYLOBATIDAE) 16 2.2 SPLITTING THE GIBBONS 17 2.3 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CRESTED GIBBONS (GENUS NOMASCUS) 19 2.3.1. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS 19 2.3.2. HOW MANY SPECIES? 20 2.3.3. CLASSIFICATION AND PHYLOGENY 22 3. DISTRIBUTION 24 3 1. DISTRIBUTION OF THE GENUS NOMASCUS 24 3.2. EASTERN BLACK CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS SP. CF. NASUTUS 26 DISTRIBUTION IN CHINA 26 DISTRIBUTION IN VIETNAM 27 3.3. WESTERN BLACK CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS CONCOLOR 28 DISTRIBUTION IN CHINA 28 DISTRIBUTION IN LAOS 28 DISTRIBUTION IN VIETNAM 28 3.4. NORTHERN WHITE CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS LEUCOGENYS LEUCOGENYS 29 DISTRIBUTION IN CHINA 30 DISTRIBUTION IN LAOS 31 DISTRIBUTION IN VIETNAM 32 3.5. SOUTHERN WHITE-CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS LEUCOGENYS SIKI 32 DISTRIBUTION IN LAOS 32 DISTRIBUTION IN VIETNAM 31 3.6. YELLOW-CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS GABRIELLAE 33 DISTRIBUTION IN CAMBODIA 33 DISTRIBUTION IN LAOS 33 DISTRIBUTION IN VIETNAM 33 4. ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR 34 4.1. SOCIAL ORGANIZATION 34 4.2. HABITAT 37 4.3. DIET 38 4.4. SONGS 39 5. SPECIES DESCRIPTIONS 43 5.1. EASTERN BLACK CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS SP. CF. NASUTUS 43 5.2. WESTERN BLACK CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS CONCOLOR 44 5.3. WHITE-CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS LEUCOGENYS 45 5.4. YELLOW-CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS GABRIELLAE 46 5.5. WHAT GOES ON BETWEEN N. L. SIKI AND N. GABRIELLAE? 48 6. CRESTED GIBBON RECORDS IN VIETNAM 50 6.1 EASTERN BLACK CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS SP. CF. NASUTUS 50 6.2. WESTERN BLACK CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS CONCOLOR 56 HO NAM MU AND CHE TAO-NAM PAM 64 LOCATION, TOPOGRAPHY AND FOREST QUALITY 64 IMPORTANCE FOR PRIMATE CONSERVATION 64 THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY 65 CONCLUSION 67 6.3. NORTHERN WHITE-CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS LEUCOGENYS LEUCOGENYS 68 6.4. SOUTHERN WHITE-CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS LEUCOGENYS SIKI 77 PU MAT NATURE RESERVE 82 TOPOGRAPHY AND FOREST QUALITY 82 IMPORTANCE FOR PRIMATE CONSERVATION IN VIETNAM 82 CONCLUSION 83 6.5. WHITE_CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS LEUCOGENYS SIKI OR YELLOW-CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON N. GABRIELLAE? 85 6.6. YELLOW-CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS GABRIELLAE 88 7. STATUS 95 7.1. EASTERN BLACK CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS SP. CF. NASUTUS 95 7.2. WESTERN BLACK CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS CONCOLOR 95 7.3. NORTHERN WHITE-CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS LEUCOGENYS LEUCOGENYS 96 7.4. SOUTHERN WHITE-CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS LEUCOGENYS SIKI 97 7.5. YELLOW-CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS GABRIELLAE 98 8. THREATS TO GIBBONS IN VIETNAM 100 8.1 HUNTING AND WILDLIFE TRADE 100 8.2 HABITAT DISTURBANCE 101 9. RECOMMENDATIONS 104 9.1 HUNTING AND WILDLIFE TRADE 104 9.2 POPULATION MANAGEMENT 105 9.3 HABITAT DISTURBANCE 105 9.4 PROTECTED AREAS SYSTEM REVIEW 106 9.5 EDUCATION AND AWARENESS RAISING 107 9.6 RESEARCH AND FIELD SURVEYS 107 9.7 SPECIES-SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS 107 9.7.1 EASTERN BLACK CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS SP. CF. NASUTUS 107 9.7.2. WESTERN BLACK CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS CONCOLOR 108 9.7.3. NORTHERN WHITE-CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS LEUCOGENYS LEUCOGENYS 108 9.7.4. SOUTHERN WHITE-CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS LEUCOGENYS SIKI 109 9.7.5. YELLOW-CHEEKED CRESTED GIBBON NOMASCUS GABRIELLAE 110 9.8. GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS 110 REFERENCES 11 2 APPENDIX 1. GIBBON SPECIES IN THE PROTECTED AREA NETWORK OF VIETNAM 123 APPENDIX 2. LOCALITIES LIST 125 WHERE TO ORDER: FAUNA & FLORA INTERNATIONAL, GREAT EASTERN HOUSE, TENISON ROAD CAMBRIDGE, CB1 2TT, UK Phone: +44 (0) 1223 571000 Fax: +44 (0) 1223 461481 Email: info@fauna-flora.org Website: www.fauna-flora.org To borrow: Contact Joanne Brown, WNPRC at: brown@primate.wisc.edu We welcome announcement copies of reports and theses for Primate-Science. Send copies to the address provided above. Posted Date: 6/13/2003
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