Cao Vit Gibbon

The Cao Vit gibbon, scientifically Nomascus nasutus and also called the Cao-vit black crested gibbon, takes its name from the sound of its call as described by Vietnamese villagers. It survives in karst forest of Trung Khanh District in Cao Bang Province, northeast Vietnam, and in Guangxi Province, China, where it was rediscovered in 2006. The species was thought possibly extinct from the 1960s through the early 2000s until it was rediscovered in Vietnam in 2002 by biologists from Fauna and Flora International; a 2005 estimate put the population at only 35 to 37 individuals in Vietnam. It is classified as a distinct species from other crested gibbons based on molecular data, fur coloration and differences in vocal communication, and it is threatened by deforestation, encroachment and poaching. It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and included in CITES Appendix I.