Rare monkeys found in Vietnam

The largest known population of gray-shanked doucs has been discovered in a remote part of Vietnam, raising the prospect that the endangered monkeys can be saved from extinction, scientists said Tuesday.

Three surveys since 2005 by the World Wide Fund for Nature and Conservation International in Que Phuoc commune in Quang Nam province recorded at least 116 animals, with an estimated population of more than 180. Considered one of the world’s 25 most endangered primates, the species has only been recorded in the five central Vietnamese provinces. Fewer than 1,000 are believed to survive, and only one other population with more than 100 animals is known.