Ninh Binh establishes world's largest reserve for Critically Endangered langurs

Ninh Binh authorities in northern Vietnam established the Kim Bang Delacour's langur Conservation Area as a special-use forest.

The new reserve covers 3,182 hectares, which includes over 3,000 hectares of natural limestone forest. This area forms part of the Van Long-Kim Bang-Tam Chuc landscape. The Delacour's langur is a primate species found only in Vietnam.

Hunting and habitat loss have caused the population to drop sharply, leaving the species classified as critically endangered on both the Vietnam Red Data Book and the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. Currently, nearly 400 individuals remain in the wild, most of which live in the limestone forests of Kim Bang and the Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve. These remaining animals represent more than 90 percent of the global population.

The Ninh Binh Protection and Special-use Forest Management Board will manage the new site, which is divided into zones for strict protection, ecological restoration, and administration. Officials expect the reserve to provide the legal and scientific framework needed to nominate the landscape for a UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Vice Chairman Tran Anh Dung stated that the move is a starting point and urged local residents and agencies to help prevent illegal activities while supporting habitat restoration and research.