A rare monkey with a bright blue face has turned up in encouraging numbers in northern Vietnam.
Several families of the critically endangered Tonkin snub-nosed monkey were spotted in the Khau Ca forest during a census run by researchers at Fauna & Flora, an international wildlife conservation nonprofit, BBC Wildlife reported.
The species’ global population is believed to be about 250. About 160 live in the Khau Ca forest, the best-known habitat for the monkey.
Researchers used thermal imaging drones, camera traps and sound detectors during the survey. The sightings showed the population was stable, which researchers said was a positive sign the species may be slowly rebounding.
The Tonkin snub-nosed monkey faces threats from poaching, habitat loss and deforestation, according to BBC Wildlife.
“These numbers still aren’t big,” said Canh Xuan Chu, a project manager at Fauna & Flora, per BBC Wildlife. “But it is reassuring that we have been able to identify various family groups in Khau Ca and that there is no evidence of trapping or hunting.
“While poaching was once a key threat to the species, our biggest challenges today are habitat loss and deforestation, largely due to agricultural expansion.”
Fauna & Flora said it is also working with local governments to strengthen protection for the species and restore wildlife corridors for the primates to use, per BBC Wildlife.
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