Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s endangered wild flora and fauna species listed in the newly released Vietnam Red Book number up to 882 compared to 725 announced in the 1992-96 Red Book.
The Vietnam Red Book 2007, launched by the Vietnam Scientific and Technological Institute and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on June 26, updates the latest data of Vietnam ’s flora and fauna preservation.
Prof. Dr. Dang Ngoc Thanh, who led the compilation of the Red Book 2007, said the book reveals an alarming reality of the country’s natural resources with the increasing number of endangered species and the dangerous levels.
According to him, the new Red Book now has listed several species believed to be extinct, the highest level that was not seen in the previous publications. A great deal of species listed as vulnerable now become endangered.
There are some species that are thought to be extinct in Vietnam are still living in neighbouring countries, such as grey ox, two-horn rhino, and tapir.
The book also gives good news, that some endangered species are recovering thanks to Vietnam ’s preservation efforts, such as deer, white-headed langur, some species of pheasants, python and crocodile.
Dr. Vu Van Trieu, IUCN Representative in Vietnam, said the Red Book 2007 is a good contribution to the assessment of Vietnam’s biodiversity and the forecast of development trend in the future, serving as a basis for the completion and implementation of the Law on Biodiversity in Vietnam.-Enditem
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