REMARKABLE RECORDS OF MAMMALS AND CONSERVATION STATUS OF Sundasciurus hippurus AND Macaca fascicularis FROM U MINH HA NATIONAL PARK, SOUTHERN VIETNAM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18173/2354-1059.2025-0058Keywords:
biodiversity, conservation, distribution, ecology, mammalsAbstract
U Minh Ha is one of the most prominent national parks in southern Vietnam; however, its mammalian fauna remains poorly studied. To address this gap, we conducted a field survey using camera traps and direct transect observations between June and July 2024. The survey yielded photographic records of eight confirmed species (Tupaia belangeri, Macaca fascicularis, Rattus tanezumi, Sundasciurus hippurus, Prionailurus bengalensis, Lutra sumatrana, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, and Sus scrofa) representing eight genera, eight families, and five orders. Among these, M. fascicularis and L. sumatrana are listed as Endangered, and S. hippurus as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List. Notably, M. fascicularis and S. hippurus were frequently recorded throughout the park, while L. sumatrana was documented only twice. Other mammalian taxa, such as bats, were also observed but excluded from the present study pending further taxonomic and conservation assessment. This study provides valuable records supported by verified photographs for all eight documented mammal species, offering robust confirmation of their presence in U Minh Ha National Park. Overall, our findings underscore the park’s importance as a potential hotspot for future research on mammalian diversity and broader biodiversity, with particular relevance to ecological patterns, species distribution, and conservation efforts in Vietnam and the wider Southeast Asian region.
References
[1] Tran QK, Duong VN, Nguyen TT, Nguyen HL, Huynh KAT & Ngo MS, (2023). Biodiversity of jungles in U Minh Ha National Park, Ca Mau province. Dong Thap University Journal of Science, 12(8), 36-51.
[2] Nguyen DT, Pham TT & Tang TKH, (2024). Biodiversity status of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Working Paper 31, Bongor, Indonesia, CIFOR and Nairobi, Kenya, ICRAF, 1-42.
[3] Wilson DE, Mittermeier RA & Lacher TE (eds.), (2017). Handbook of the Mammals of the World (Vol. 7), Rodents II. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, p. 1008.
[4] Dang NC, Hideki E, Nguyen TS, Tatsuo O, Le XC, Dang HP, Darrin PL, Shin-Ichiro K, Motoki S, Akiko H, (2008). Checklist of wild mammal species of Vietnam. Shoukadoh Book Sellers, Kyoto, Japan, p. 400 (in Vietnamese).
[5] Tran VB, Vu L & Hoang MD, (2014). Recent records of small carnivorans in southern Vietnam. Proceedings of the VAST-BAS international conference on Biodiversity and Biologically Active Substances. Publishing House for Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam, 367-374.
[6] Willcox D, Bull R, Nguyen VN, Tran QP & Nguyen VT, (2017). Small carnivore records from the U Minh wetlands, Vietnam. Small Canivore Conservation, 55, 4-25.
[7] Russell JG, Nguyen TV, Cao LN, Trinh TM, Pham VT, Nguyen TTH, Willcox D, Le VD, Nguyen VT, (2024). Camera trapping in Southern Vietnam: Unveiling relative abundance, activity patterns, and conservation challenges of globally threatened pangolins and small carnivores. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 70, 1-15.
[8] Yasuda M, (2004). Monitoring diversity and abundance of mammals with camera traps: A case study on Mount Tsukuba, central Japan. Mammal Study, 29(1), 37-46.
[9] Rovero F, Zimmermann F, Berzi D & Meek P, (2013). Which camera trap type and how many do I need? A review of camera features and study designs for a range of wildlife research applications. Hystrix, Italian Journal of Mammalogy, 24(2), 148-156.
[10] Dang HH, Cao VS, Le XC, Pham TA, Nguyen XD, Hoang MK & Nguyen MT, (2007). The fauna of Vietnam. Volume 25: Mammals-Mammalia. Science and Technics Publishing House, Hanoi, Vietnam, p. 296 (in Vietnamese).
[11] Francis CM, (2019). A Field Guide to the Mammals of South-East Asia, (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
[12] IUCN, (May 19, 2025), The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-2. https://www.iucnredlist.org.
[13] Nguyen QT (ed.), Dang HP, Nguyen DD, Nguyen MH, Bui TH, Hoang QH, Nguyen TS, Vu DT, Ly NT, Le MH, Pham TC, Nguyen TT, Hoang DH, Ngo SV, Vo VQ, Nguyen VG, Nguyen DT, Tran CT, Hoang VT, Pham TN, Pham DS, Phan QT, Do VT, Le HA, Tran MH & Nguyen DN, (2024). Red Data Book of Vietnam (Volume 1), Animals, Publishing House for Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam, p. 196-197 (in Vietnamese).
[14] Aldrich BC & Neale, (2020). Pet Macaques in Vietnam: An NGO’s Perspective. Animals, 11(1), 60. DOI: 10.3390/ani11010060.
[15] Tran VB, (May 19, 2025). Long-tailed macaque in southern Vietnam: updated distribution and conservation status. https://theltmproject.org.
