A rescue centre for endangered primates will be built at Cat Tien National Park in southern Dong Nai province following an agreement signed on July 5.

Under the agreement, the Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre of the UK and the Pingtung Rescue Centre for Endangered Wild Animals of Taiwan will provide the project owner - the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development - with more than US$500,000 to carry out the project.

The centre will engage in rescuing precious, rare monkeys and gibbons from being kept illegally in southern provinces.

It will also serve as a venue for research on conservation and breeding classification of primates.

The centre is scheduled for completion by the end of 2008.