National park director Dao Xuan Thuy confirmed on May 16 that at least eight Indochina douc langurs had been captured by camera traps.

According to the park director, the animals were rarely seen, which was a notable discovery.

"We're going to inspect their numbers and habitat," he said.

The rare douc langurs belong to the IB group and have the scientific name Trachypithecus germaini caudalis. They are mainly found in Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, the langurs live in the northeastern, Central Highlands, central, and southern regions. Their numbers are thought to have fallen by over 50 percent over the past 36 years due to hunting and the loss of their natural habitat.

Chu Mom Ray National Park covers over 56,000 ha in Sa Thay and Ngoc Hoi districts, adjacent to Cambodia's Virachey National Park and Laos' Southeast Ghong Nature Reserve.

The park is a haven for biodiversity, boasting a staggering 270,000 plant species, 97 mammal species, 270 bird species, 69 reptile and amphibian species, and 19 freshwater fish species.

Among the flora and fauna are 78 listed as rare species, many of which are named in the Vietnam Red Data Book. Meanwhile, two are endemic to the south of Truong Son Mountain Range, 16 to Vietnam, and 29 to Indochina.

In 2004, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations recognised Chu Mom Ray National Park as an ASEAN Heritage Park due to its biodiversity and genetic resources of rare animals and plants.