Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security said on May 8 that police, forest rangers and local authorities in multiple provinces had recently received, rescued and released numerous rare wild animals, while also uncovering illegal hunting and captivity cases.
The incidents were recorded in Son La, Tuyen Quang, Nghe An and Quang Ngai provinces.
Authorities release wild animals back into nature (Photo: C05).
In Son La Province, authorities in Chieng Mung Commune on May 5 coordinated with local police and forest rangers to receive and release a golden macaque back into the wild after it wandered into a residential area.
The animal was voluntarily handed over by Tran Van Thao, a resident of Na Ha II Village.
On the same day, forest rangers and the Ta Xua Forest Management Board received a yellow mountain tortoise discovered by Hoang Thi Hien while she was working in fields in Muong Coi Commune.
The species belongs to Group IIB under Vietnam’s list of endangered, rare and precious forest animals. Authorities conducted health checks and prepared the tortoise for release back into nature.
In Nghe An Province, police in Quynh Thang Commune on April 30 received a Sa Nhan turtle classified under Group IIB after it was voluntarily handed over by 13-year-old Tran Le Anh Thu.
On May 4, police in Giai Xuan Commune received a pygmy slow loris from Nguyen Ngoc Hoai, a resident of Yen Hoa Hamlet. The species belongs to Group IB, the category for critically endangered and rare forest animals.
Authorities later coordinated with forest rangers and local forest management units to release the animal into a natural forest.
A day later, officials received a pig,tailed macaque weighing around 4.5kg from Pham Van Dat in Cua Tho Hamlet. The animal was transferred to the Pu Mat National Park wildlife conservation centre for protection.
Also in Nghe An, authorities in Hung Chan Commune received a Javan pangolin, another Group IB species, voluntarily handed over by Lu Thi Khoanh from Cuom Village.
Officials are completing procedures to release the pangolin into the Pu Huong Nature Reserve.
In Tuyen Quang Province, forest rangers and local police intensified inspections during the bird breeding season.
On April 26 and 28, authorities inspected hill gardens, farming areas and riverside locations, dismantling dozens of illegal bird trapping sites.
Confiscated items included nets, traps, loudspeakers and batteries commonly used to lure and capture wild birds.
Meanwhile in Quang Ngai Province, economic police and forest rangers inspected several facilities suspected of illegally keeping wildlife during the April 30 and May 1 holiday period.
At one facility on Tran Phu Street in Kon Tum Ward, authorities discovered 89 illegally captive wild animals, including 87 birds from eight species and two South American iguanas.
Among them, 19 animals belonged to the Group IIB endangered species category.
At another business in Truong Quang Trong Ward, authorities found that 30 out of 103 red-whiskered bulbuls being kept lacked legal documentation.
All animals involved in the violations were confiscated pending further legal action.
Authorities said the series of cases reflected stronger enforcement efforts against wildlife crime, while the growing number of residents voluntarily surrendering rare animals indicated improving public awareness of biodiversity conservation.
