The Scientific and Rescue Centre of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, in the central province of Quang Binh, on March 23, announced its discovery of 41 groups of Siki gibbons (Nomascus leucogenys siki), the biggest Siki gibbon community in Vietnam.

A Siki gibbon (photo: PN-KB website)

Of the 41 groups of Siki gibbons, 37 live in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park and the 4 remaining are in the Bo Trach Forest Farm. There are a total of 115 individual Siki gibbons.

Besides the gibbons, scientists found 10 groups, totaling 137 individual red-shanked douc (Pygathrix nemaeus), also the largest community of red-shanked douc in Vietnam.

Siki gibbons and red-shanked doucs are two rare species of primate, ranked at the E level (endangered) in Vietnam’s and the world’s red books.

The discovery is the result of surveys taken by Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Fauna and Flora International (FFI), under the framework of an FFI-funded project to raise the scientific research ability of staff at Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and to survey the community of Siki gibbons.

V.Giang