Ten Edwards's pheasants, one of Vietnam's rarest endemic bird species, have been transferred to Quang Tri Province as part of an ambitious conservation programme that aims to re-establish the species in its native forests.
On August 5, Quang Tri's Department of Agriculture and Environment, in partnership with Viet Nature Conservation Centre, received 10 Edwards's pheasants, five males and five females, at the Rare Pheasant Breeding Centre in Bang Village, Kim Ngan Commune.
The birds originate from a captive breeding population managed in Europe and were returned to Vietnam through an international conservation initiative dedicated to restoring the species.
The transfer marks a significant milestone in efforts to recover one of Vietnam's endemic birds. The species is classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is widely considered to be possibly extinct in the wild.
The pheasants will initially undergo veterinary care and close monitoring while adapting to local conditions. Conservationists plan to establish breeding pairs and produce future generations in Vietnam, with chicks being naturally raised by their parent birds.
"We are not simply bringing Edwards's pheasants back to central Vietnam. We are giving one of Vietnam's unique endemic species a chance to return, breed and thrive once again in its native forests," a representative of Viet Nature Conservation Centre said.
An Edwards's pheasant (Photo: Viet Nature Conservation Centre).
Edwards's pheasant (Lophura edwardsi) was once found in the lowland evergreen forests of central Vietnam, with a limited historical range covering Ha Tinh Province, Quang Tri Province and Hue City.
Habitat loss, illegal hunting and decades of human pressures caused the species to disappear from the wild. Fortunately, several birds were exported to Europe in the late 1920s, preserving a valuable genetic population.
The enclosure for Edwards's pheasants in Quang Tri Province (Photo: Viet Nature Conservation Centre).
After more than a century of captive breeding, zoos and conservation specialists have maintained a genetically important population that now forms the foundation of efforts to restore the species in its homeland.
The first reintroductions into the wild are expected by the end of 2028, provided veterinary, technical and habitat safety requirements are fully met.
Subject to the success of each phase of the programme, conservationists aim to establish a self-sustaining wild population of Edwards's pheasants by around 2035.
