Currently, Da Nang has 3 special-use forests covering a total of 31,114.5 hectares, which accounts for 54.4% of the city’s total forested area.  They are the Son Tra and Ba Na-Nui Chua natural conservation areas, and the Nam Hai Van landscape protection area.

Red-shanked douc langurs

The Son Tra natural conservation area in particular is now home to around 1,000 species of plants and 300 wild animals.  Of them, 37 rare plant and animal species have already made it onto the list of need-to-be-protected and priority species.

The 4,400ha Son Tra Peninsula is currently home to over 300 red-shanked douc langurs.  However, a total of 17 tourism projects, covering an area of 1,029.6ha, have been deployed here and this has resulted in a reduction of the peninsula’s protected area.  Last year, 3 douc langurs were shot dead, and in the first half of this year, around 10ha of the Son Tra forest was illegally cut down.

Mr Tran Huu Vy, Director of Nuoc Viet Xanh (Green Viet Nam), has raised his concerns about the destruction of the habitat for the douc langurs caused by the rapid development of tourism projects, forest destruction, and tourism activities in the Tien Sa, Suoi Om, Ho Sau and Bai Bac areas in the peninsula.  He suggests that the Son Tra natural conservation area should be turned into a red-shanked douc langur conservation area, and fees should be charged for entry to the peninsula.

The Chairman of the city’s Historical Science Association, Mr Bui Van Tieng, has proposed that the red-shanked douc langur should be recognised as one of the city’s symbols, and any more development of tourism projects on the peninsula should be stopped.  At the same time, greater efforts should be made to ensure defence, security, environmental protection and controlled tourism development.