A hunter at Nguyen Du Memorial Site
"There are a lot of black drongo here," said one poacher. "Just pull the trigger and something will fall."
An employee at the site said there were five to seven illegal hunters a day coming into the sanctuary, but, because they are armed, staff are afraid to confront them.
The site is named after the early nineteenth century poet Nguyen Du, renowned for his "The Tale of Kieu". Nguyen Du Memorial Site is recognised as a national relic for its old buildings, and its ecosystem, which is a habitat for many species of birds.
Looking for the birds
Managers want to increase the number of trees to make homes for more birds, but those plans are on hold because of the threat posed by poachers.
"We tried to persuade them, ban them, to no avail," said Ho Bach Khoa, head manager of the site. "Only a few of them are locals. Most come from other districts and provinces."
