Latest news with #ThoDucNguyen
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Experts thrilled as cameras capture newborn creatures high in jungle treetops: 'Seeing it reminded me of my own children'
The critically endangered Cao-vit gibbon is making progress toward recovery, according to Mongabay. A recent report by conservation group Fauna & Flora celebrated two newborns in northern Vietnam in 2024. "It is very rare that we observe baby gibbons," said Tho Duc Nguyen, Fauna & Flora Vietnam program project manager, per Mongabay. "This is a sign that the number of gibbons can increase in the troop and expand the living area, bringing a better future for the Cao-vit gibbon." Cao-vit gibbons produce offspring relatively slowly, with females giving birth every four years. Even then, Fauna & Flora spotted only one to three per year across four different troops in the region from 2020-25. With a population of fewer than 50 mature adults and 74 individuals, this rate of growth is highly precarious. Cao-vit gibbons were thought to have gone extinct because of overhunting until they were rediscovered in 2002. Conservation officers have since monitored the groups they could find, but challenging terrain has been an obstacle. New technology such as drones and thermal cameras has been helpful in producing more accurate data. Hunting remains a threat to such small populations, with demand driven by the fur trade and traditional medicine. The live trade of gibbons is a factor as well. Combined with habitat loss from logging and agriculture, wild species across the board are in trouble. Certain protections are proving useful, however. Cao-vit gibbon hunters face up to 15 years in jail and $78,000 in fines. The folks at Fauna & Flora are hopeful that the return of the Cao-vit gibbon can reinvigorate local ecosystems. "This was the smallest baby gibbon I had ever seen and seeing it reminded me of my own children as babies being cared for by my wife," Nguyen said. "This is amazing and an encouraging sign of hope for the species' population, which is currently very low, and highlights the critical importance of long-term ongoing monitoring and conservation efforts in Cao Bằng." Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Miami Herald
06-03-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Tiny endangered creature is ‘smallest baby' ever seen, Vietnam wildlife officials say
In the remote rainforests of Vietnam, the 'king of the swingers' was thought to have gone extinct. Cao vit gibbons, or eastern black crested gibbons, have maintained incredibly small populations following their rediscovery in 2002 by researchers with Fauna & Flora, and only 74 individuals are thought to live in the wild. Now, that number has grown by one. 'Conservationists are celebrating an upswing in the fortunes of the critically endangered cao vit gibbon after a tiny infant was spotted during routine patrolling in the remote forests of Cao Bằng, Vietnam,' research organization Fauna & Flora announced in a March 6 news release. The last survey taken just over a year ago suggested gibbon numbers were lower than previously believed, the organization said, as the difficult terrain in the region and extreme mobility of the species led to double-counting by officials. 'Since that harsh reality check, the signs have been positive and this latest infant sighting is a further morale boost for the dedicated people working to save the cao vit gibbon, which is officially the world's second rarest primate,' the organization said. Officials have now recorded two newborns during forest patrol since the species numbers were 'recalibrated,' Fauna & Flora said, with the most recent sighting 'of a very young baby' taking place in November. 'We were very excited to spot another infant cao vit gibbon during our regular patrolling. This was the smallest baby gibbon I had ever seen and seeing it reminded me of my own children as babies being cared for by my wife,' project manager Tho Duc Nguyen said in the release. Gibbons are known for their 'acrobatic(s)' and 'haunting calls' that permeate through dense forests, the organization said. 'Gibbons usually pair for life and live in very small family groups. They defend their territories mainly by singing,' Fauna & Flora said. 'The dawn duets between male and female gibbons are one of the most evocative sounds of the forest. Many gibbon species — including the cao vit gibbon — are sexually dimorphic, meaning that males and females are different colors.' Cao vit gibbons are listed as 'critically endangered' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, with world adult population numbers in the 40s as recently as 2015. 'Every cao vit gibbon birth is another step on the ladder leading the species further away from the jaws of extinction,' Fauna & Flora said. Cao Bằng is in northeastern Vietnam, just south of the border with southern China.
