The Green Corridor Project, implemented by the Global Environment Facility, aims to conserve biological diversity and endangered species of animals and plants living in the ecosystem of the Truong Son Mountains from extinction.

The project, which received sponsorship from the World Bank, the Global Conservation Organization, and the World Wildlife Fund, would be carried out at the “Green Corridor” – the natural forest area surrounding Bach Ma National Park and Phong Dien Reserve.

According to scientists, the formation of the Green Corridor would build an ideal roof to house all kinds of plants and animals in harmony, especially rare species including Vietnam’s Sao La, white-crested pheasants and species of primates and tigers.

Pheasants, tigers and primates

White-crested pheasants, under the nomenclature Lophura edwardsi, were believed to be extinct until a local farmer from Phong Dien district discovered a pair of them in 1996.

In later years, after taking several trips to the area, ornithologists finally saw individuals of white-crested pheasants and then declared the fowl species alive.

Meanwhile, other kinds of endangered species like Indo-Chinese Tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti), pig-tailed monkey (Macaca nemestrina), or white-cheeked gibbon (Hylobates concolor) were also discovered in Phong Dien reserve.

Sao La

The Green Corridor is also a home for a species of miniature bovid (small forest dwelling ox) named Sao La, listed as one of the rarest animals in the world.

The first individual of Sao La, classified as Pseudoryx nghetinhensis, was discovered in 1992 in the Vu Quang mountainous areas of Ha Tinh province, was also found at the Nam Dong district of Thua Thien Hue province in 1998 by local hunters.

From 1998-2000, the total Sao La population was estimated at 120-150 individuals by scientists from the World Wildlife Fund Indochina.

The species characterized by long, slender, nearly straight horns was believed living in a 58,000-hectare area upstream Huong River.

Giant Muntjac (Muntiacus vuquangensis)

A survey in 1994 in Vu Quang, Ha Tinh province, following the discovery of new species of Sao La, has revealed a second new ruminant species - a medium-sized deer.

The new deer is most closely related to the common muntjac (Muntiacus muntjac) with which it is sympatric but differs significantly from known muntjac species in several characteristics.

Truong Son Muntjac (Muntiacus truongsonensis)

Three years after finding the largest muntjac species (the giant muntjac) in the forests of Vietnam, possibly the smallest muntjac species has been discovered.

Weighing about 15 kilogrammes, and half the size of the common muntjac, the new species was named the Truong Son muntjac, after the mountain range where it was found.

The Truong Son muntjac was first discovered in April, 1997 by scientists from WWF, Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Da Nang University.

After the Institute of Zoology, University of Copenhagen analysed genetic tissue samples, it was confirmed as a new species of muntjac.

This is the third new species of large mammal that scientists have discovered in Vietnam in recent years.

Reported by Ngoc Thao Nguyen & Bui Ngoc Long, source: WWF – Translated by Quynh Nhu.