Ha Noi, 13th December 2014 – Wildlife At Risk (WAR) cooperated with Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department to successfully transfer two male individuals Northern White-cheeked Gibbon to the Me Linh Biodiversity Station – Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources (Vietnam Academy). This activity was proudly supported by Cologne Zoo – Germany.
The two individuals of Northern White-cheeked Gibbon were confiscated from an illegal transportation in 2013 in the south and were registered to Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station in 2013.Northern White-cheeked Gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys) is categorised as Endangered (EN) in the Vietnam Red Book. This endangered species is also listed in group IB under the Decree 32/2006/NĐ-CP of the government and index 1 of the CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species). Population of this species is decreasing steadily due to habitat lost, hunting and trading for pet and meat.
According to Mr. Nguyen Vu Khoi – WAR’s CEO “The Northern White-cheeked Gibbon is distributed in the North of Vietnam. The transferring of those Gibbons to its Me Linh Biodiversity Station not only enables the gibbons to be in its right habitat but also serves education purposes of the station”.