They are the first of the ten Delacour’s langurs that will be set free to the Van Long wetland sanctuary in the northern province of Ninh Binh, from now to 2013.
Tilo Nadlo, chief representative of the Frankfurt Zoology Association in Vietnam, says that the three langurs that were set free belong to the F1 and F2 generations. Their parents are Cuc Phuong and Chile langur species. Each langur is around 5 years old and 5-6 kilo in weight.
They were previously taken care of at the Cuc Phuong primate rescue center. Before being released, they were checked comprehensively and stuck with chipsets, which enable experts to keep an eye on their growth.
The three animals were released to the Van Long wetland sanctuary, where is the home to community of Delacour’s langurs.
The Frankfurt Zoology Association in Vietnam says that its experts will keep track of the langurs for at least one year.
The Delacour's langur is a critically endangered species of lutung endemic to Vietnam. It is considered to be one of "The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates." There are only 200 Delacour’s langurs in Vietnam at present, mainly on limestone mountains in the northern delta.
In three years, 2011-2013, a Vietnam-Germany project aims to release ten Delacour’s langurs into the Van Long wetland sanctuary in a bid to increase the number of Delacour’s langurs in nature and supplement the long-term genetic sources to Vietnam and the world.
(VNN)