Vietnam is ranked 16th in biological diversity, containing 15% of the world's species, 10% of which are endemic. Denver Zoo currently supports two projects in Vietnam, conservation of the Tonkin Snub-Nosed monkey and Asian elephants.
Vietnam Fact Sheet (pdf)
Vietnam Project List
Read Notes from the Field Journal
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| Vietnam Animal Facts: |
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Tonkin Snub-Nose monkey: This unique primate is endemic to Vietnam, where it lives in broadleaf forests on steep limestone hills. Due to increased habitat loss and hunting, these colorful primates are now considered critically endangered. |
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Asian Elephant: Asian elephants are intelligent mammals that have a unique trunk with over 100,000 different muscles that help them, smell, breathe, eat and grab things. Today, Vietnam's elephant population has declined precipitously from over 2,000 in the mid-1990 to fewer than 80 individuals alive today due to habitat loss and conflicts with humans.
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Delacour's langur: Endemic to isolated limestone karst mountains in just four provinces of northern Vietnam, less than 200 Delacour's langurs remain in the wild. These primates are endangered due to habitat loss.
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Pangolin: These scaly-plated mammals look more like reptiles with their hard protective body armor. Pangolin's have long tails for climbing and a pointed snout and a keen sense of smell for scoping out their favorite food, termites. Pangolins are considered threatened due to increase in hunting and illegal trade for their medicinal purposes. |
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Asiatic Black Bear: Found in Southern Asia, these unique bears have a crescent-shaped white marking on their chest. They have strong claws which help them climb trees and dig for food, which consists of both plants and animals. Due to habitat loss and hunting for medicinal use, Asiatic Black Bear populations are declining in the wild.. |
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