"Of the top 25 most endangered primates world-wide, 5 occur in Vietnam, and 3 of these are endemic to the country. Without immediate and sustained action the first primate extinction of the new millennium will occur in Vietnam."
- Frank Momburg, Fauna and Flora International's Vietnam Project Manager.
Vietnam's primates are threatened by habitat destruction and hunting for food and traditional medicines. Overshadowed by the attention given to the plight of the great apes, the gibbons and leaf monkeys of Vietnam have declined to the point where 11 of them are now endangered, 5 critically. Despite the recent discovery of 2 new populations, the Eastern black crested gibbon numbers around 30 individuals, bestowing it with the dubious title of the world's rarest ape.
The critically endangered Tonkin snub-nosed monkey is endemic to Vietnam and the discovery of a new population by FFI biologist Le Khac Quyet has raised the known population to 260 individuals.
In collaboration with FFI Vietnam, I am working on a long term project to photograph endangered primate populations in the wild - some species for the first time - and document planned and ongoing community-based conservation and awareness projects. The images and articles will be used to promote primate conservation in Vietnam.
If you are interested in supporting this project please email me.
