Vietnam Primate Conservation Status Review 2002 - Hoang Lien ...

Vietnam Primate Conservation Status Review Part 2: LEAF MONKEYS
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the group ran away prevented a conclusive identification. However, a skin found in a local house in
Kon Plong town was identified as P. cinerea (Eames et al., 2001). The owner of the skin stated that the
animal had been caught in the Mount Ngoc Boc area. It is likely that the two groups observed
previously were also of this taxon, given the identification of the skin.
During a FZS survey conducted in June 2000 a first population census was made. According to
information from locals and hunters, eight groups occur in this area with 85 to 120 Grey-shanked
doucs. This species is well known by the locals and is heavily hunted. Two juvenile doucs were
caught in April and May 2000 and sold to an animal trader. The hunters reported that the population
had decreased very fast, but there is no knowledge of laws concerning the protection status.
Kon Ha Nung area (GIA LAI)
Special use forest: Partly included in Kon Cha Rang and Kon Ka Kinh Natures Reserves
Douc status: Occurrence confirmed, last evidence in 1998 (Vu Ngoc Thanh, pers. comm.)
Species recorded: P. nemaeus (sighting and specimen in Kon Ka Kinh, specimen in Kon Cha Rang),
P. cinerea (specimen between the two nature reserves); Pygathrix sp. (sighting and specimen in
Kong Cha Rang)
Le Xuan Canh (1995a) conducted a survey for large carnivores in Kon Ha Nung area in October 1994.
The author reported sightings of douc langurs but did not provide details.
Douc langur sightings in Kon Cha Rang and Kon Ka Kinh Nature Reserves are reported by Lippold
and Vu Ngoc Thanh from four field surveys conducted in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 (Vu Ngoc
Thanh, pers. comm.). Sightings of groups with 51 individuals were reported by Lippold (1998). According
to this survey, it appears that P. nemaeus and P. nigripes are at least parapatric in the area. In Kon
Cha Rang, although only the Black-shanked douc was observed on several occasions in the forest,
specimens of both the Black- and the Red-shanked douc were seen in hunters’ houses (within the
forest) and in local markets. However, Lippold & Vu Ngoc Thanh (1995) also report Hatinh and
Phayre’s langurs from this locality, which is extremely dubious given current knowledge about the
ranges, distribution and habitat requirements of both species. Furthermore a photograph labelled as
Pygathrix nemaeus nigripes in Lippold (1998), is actually a Grey-shanked douc (Nadler, 1997a).
Consequently, doubt is cast upon Lippold’s records of Black-shanked douc langurs in Kon Cha Rang
Nature Reserve (which may have been misidentifications of Grey-shanked douc langurs), and further
surveys are required to clarify the taxon’s status at the locality.
In Kon Ka Kinh, further to the south, animals observed in the forest (several sightings) and specimens
seen in the villages belonged only to the Red-shanked form. (Vu Ngoc Thanh, pers. comm.). No
additional confirmation could be made of the sympatry of Black- and Red-shanked taxa in the area
as claimed by Lippold (1995a).
Between February and April 1999, a survey was conducted by BirdLife and FIPI for the investment
plan of Kon Ka Kinh Nature Reserve (Le Trong Trai, 2000) and, in April 1999, a feasibility study was
conducted by FIPI to establish Kon Cha Rang Nature Reserve (Le Trong Trai, 1999b). No animals
were recorded in the forest, however, two Grey-shanked douc specimens were seen in a taxidermist’s
shop in K’Bang town. These animals were reported to have been shot in Dak Roong Forest Enterprise,
between Kon Ka Kinh and Kon Cha Rang Nature Reserves.
According to Le Trong Trai (pers. comm. 2000), doucs seem to be rare in the area.