Rare forest gets national park status

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has agreed to upgrade the Yen Tu forest in the northern province of Quang Ninh to a national park to protect its flora and fauna.
The Yen Tu “special purpose” forest, located in Uong Bi Town, has been found to be home to many rare plants and animal species, according to the Quang Ninh People’s Committee.
Among the 830 flora species listed so far are 38 rare ones much sought after for construction and interior decoration purposes like lim xanh (erythrophloeum fordid), teak, textured wood, and kim giao (pedocarpus fleurgi).
And 23 animals found in the forest are listed in the Vietnam Red Book of endangered species, including the snub-nosed monkey, the gaint flying squirrel, and several kinds of frogs.
These species are considered as valuable gene sources for research, education and tourism purposes.
Yen Tu covers 2,687 hectares, of which 1,736 is natural forest.