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DOZENS OF PRIMATE SPECIES ON THE BRINK: STUDY

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PARIS - Seldom seen species of lemur, monkey and gorilla are among 25 primates facing near-certain extinction unless urgent measures are taken to protect them, according to a report released yesterday.

Close to half of the planet's 634 known primate species are endangered, said the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The figure is up from one third of primates just three years ago. Of the top 25, five are on Madagascar, six on the African continent, three in South America and 11 in Southeast Asia.

The least likely to survive might well be the golden-headed langur of Vietnam. Only 60 to 70 individuals remain. But the most threatened species are not always the rarest. There are more than 6,000 Sumatran orangutans, but poor conservation enforcement has led to plummeting numbers.

By contrast, the Hainan gibbon is the world's rarest primate but the Chinese government has very strict conservation measures so it is not on the list, said Mr Simon Stuart, head of the IUCN's Species Survival Commission.

Globally, habitat destruction has been the main driver toward extinction. AFP

From TODAY, Friday, 19-Feb-2010

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Black, white and loved all over

You won't be able to resist the cuddly stars, stunning scenery

Genevieve Loh

05:55 AM Jun 17, 2009

YOU can never go wrong with pandas. Especially when these deceptively serene-looking endangered Chinese national treasures appear as cute and cuddly-looking as they do (sans sharp teeth and claws).

Scene from Trail of the Panda

Even more so when your film - about a little panda cub who is separated from its mother and subsequently rescued by an orphaned boy after going through a series of hardships and dangers in the forest - is the first full-length feature to receive full support and supervision from Sichuan's Wolong Giant Panda Reserve in the history of the wildlife preservation.

Throw in the fact these precious stars were provided by China's foremost panda research and preservation centre and bore the brunt of the devastating Sichuan earthquake last year, and this 90-minute gentle heart-warmer will no doubt tug at the tear ducts and milk your every emotion for all its worth.

Scene from Trail of the Panda

Acclaimed Chinese director Yu Zhong gives the audiences a rare opportunity to see the majestic beauty of the area by poignantly capturing the spectacular scenery that has since been destroyed, and brings out a moving (if a tad over-sentimental) relationship between Chinese-Japanese child actor Daichi Harashima and the cub he becomes attached to.

Trail of the Panda will reignite the world's love for pandas, while cleverly providing a platform for the importance of environmental and wild animal preservation.

From TODAY, Plus – Wednesday, 17-Jun-2009; see the source article here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Sichuan's pandas find new home after the earthquake (guardian.co.uk)

Black, white and loved all over

You won't be able to resist the cuddly stars, stunning scenery

Genevieve Loh

05:55 AM Jun 17, 2009

YOU can never go wrong with pandas. Especially when these deceptively serene-looking endangered Chinese national treasures appear as cute and cuddly-looking as they do (sans sharp teeth and claws).

Scene from Trail of the Panda

Even more so when your film - about a little panda cub who is separated from its mother and subsequently rescued by an orphaned boy after going through a series of hardships and dangers in the forest - is the first full-length feature to receive full support and supervision from Sichuan's Wolong Giant Panda Reserve in the history of the wildlife preservation.

Throw in the fact these precious stars were provided by China's foremost panda research and preservation centre and bore the brunt of the devastating Sichuan earthquake last year, and this 90-minute gentle heart-warmer will no doubt tug at the tear ducts and milk your every emotion for all its worth.

Scene from Trail of the Panda

Acclaimed Chinese director Yu Zhong gives the audiences a rare opportunity to see the majestic beauty of the area by poignantly capturing the spectacular scenery that has since been destroyed, and brings out a moving (if a tad over-sentimental) relationship between Chinese-Japanese child actor Daichi Harashima and the cub he becomes attached to.

Trail of the Panda will reignite the world's love for pandas, while cleverly providing a platform for the importance of environmental and wild animal preservation.

From TODAY, Plus – Wednesday, 17-Jun-2009; see the source article here.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Sichuan's pandas find new home after the earthquake (guardian.co.uk)