During a short two-day trip to Da Lat, Lam Dong province on last week of August 2010, WAR staffs have recorded a short list of fresh water fishes in the area. The preliminary list is as follow:
The Paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis) has been bred successfully by WAR staffs. According to Nguyen Van Hao (2005), the most southern range of this species is Quang Nam province. If the population of this species recorded in Lam Dong province are not from aquarium then this is a record of new range for this species in Viet Nam.
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is situated on the south-eastern margin of the Indo-China peninsula. It stretches over 1,600km from north to south, and is less than 50km wide at its narrowest point. The population exceeds 86 million, comprising mainly Viet (Kinh) people (87%), and 53 other ethnic minority groups, most of whom inhabit Vietnam’s mountainous areas.
Three-quarters of Vietnam is hilly or mountainous. The Truong Son or Annamite Range, for example, extends for nearly 1,200km from the north to the south along the border with Laos and Cambodia. Other distinct regions include the vast Red River Delta in the north, the Mekong River Delta in the south, and a number of small coastal plains in central Vietnam.
Vietnam lies in the monsoon tropics. The North has four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and a cold, damp winter. The South has distinct wet and dry seasons, with small very humid change over times in between (around April for the build up to the monsoons, and October towards the end).
Although Vietnam is a rapidly developing country, a significant number of households, especially in the rural areas, still live below the poverty line. Three-quarters of the population lives in rural areas. Average income per capita is below USD5,000 per annum.
Vietnam is culturally rich and has a proud history dating back several thousand years. During the past century, however, war has had a profoundly negative economic and environmental impact on the country.
In the 21st Century, new population and development pressures are also taking their toll on Vietnam’s astoundingly rich variety of animal and plant species (Biodiversity).
The future of wildlife conservation in Vietnam lies in the hands of today’s school children. Inspiring them to appreciate the value of, and take pride in, their unique natural heritage is vital.
In early 2007, WAR commissioned a well-known Vietnamese TV personality and natural history enthusiast to devise and deliver an environmental awareness program aimed specifically at local teachers and students. The programme schedule included field trips to Cat Tien and Nui Chua National Parks, exposing the participants to practical ecology beyond the classroom and instilling in them a greater appreciation of nature. The initiative was greeted enthusiastically and stimulated interest among policy makers.
Previously, WAR worked with the Youth Union (Youth Communist Party) of Ho Chi Minh City to distribute environmental awareness and to over 700 schools in HCMC and other parts of southern Vietnam, including resources and guidelines for teachers in the classroom, at the zoo. WAR’s marine conservation awareness raising programme was a big event for 500 Con Dao Island kids with a series of developing conservation competitions and a successful campaign entitled ‘Bien Cua Em (My Sea).
WAR Presentations to HCMC Schools
The focus of WAR’s terrestrial conservation awareness raising programme for HCMC schools is an Awareness Display situated within the Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station (CCWRS) and a one hour presentation delivered to local schools on request. For information about how a school may receive a presentation, please contact Simon Faithfull, the WAR School programmes coordinator, and Manager of the CCWRS.
Visits by Schools to WAR Projects
WAR in association with Free The Bears (FTB) at Cu Chi, Cat Tien, and Hon Me in Kien Giang Province, now has a visitors’ programme as well as a volunteer programme for schools and universities to assist with awareness raising and conservation in situ or ex situ. For further information please contact Simon Faithfull with details of your curriculum needs and time schedules.
How Schools Can Help WAR
Examples of how schools have helped WAR in its efforts to conserve the wildlife of Vietnam include:
Raising funds by activities such as bake and cake days (every contribution counts!)
Sponsoring a species
Naming an animal
Planting trees and food plants for animals
Designing and raising funds for animal cages
Arranging annual schedules for visits to WAR’s awareness facilities
Supporting other conservationist NGO’s and providing local guides when on field trips in national parks.
‘Quick Click’ Easy Find
Contact details of the Manager, Schools Programme, click Contact Us.
Pictures of some School / WAR activities, click Gallery Schools
How to assist with labour for the Schools Programme, click Volunteers
How to sponsor or donate to the Schools Programme, click How to Help
From August 2010 to April 2011, WAR has conducted a survey on consumption of wild animal product in several districts of Ho Chi Minh city. The report can be downloaded here.
WAR is conducting freshwater fish surveys in several locations within Viet Nam such as Phu Quoc island, U Minh Thuong National Park and Vinh Cuu Nature Reserve. The main focus of freshwater fishes survey is on Phu Quoc island. There are very few information about feshwater fish fauna on this island. So far WAR biologists have recorded more than 100 species of freshwater and brackish water species from Phu Quoc, of which more than 10 species are new for Viet Nam and probably few new species for science. There are also novel discoveries in other locations. The study is still going on and hopefully results will be available to the public soon.
The Island of Phu Quoc is the largest island of Vietnam and it still contains a valuable and relatively undisturbed wildlife habitat. . It is located in the Gulf of Thailand and is a part of the Kien Giang Province. It has a rainy season from May to late November and is rapidly becoming a target for foreign tourists, which means that conserving its wildlife is becoming an increasing challenge. WAR staff, led by the Phu Quoc Project Manager and WAR CEO, Nguyen Vu Khoi, has been working on the Island since 2006.
The aim of the WAR programme on Phu Quoc is to help to conserve the nature of the Island by providing information about its biodiversity and then to propose sustainable solutions for the development and conservation of any endangered species. As its project partner, WAR has the Phu Quoc National Park (PQNP).
The PQNP was established as early as 2001 by an upgrading of the Natural Conservation Area. It is located in the northern part of the Island and has a total area of 31,422ha. In general, the Park’s topography is characterized by a reduction in elevation from the north to the south and from the east to the west.
The fauna and flora of the PQNP and of the Island as a whole, is gradually being documented by the WAR experts in conjunction with the Park’s staff and supporting scientists from cooperating institutions. New items are constantly being released by WAR via its website and via the local media channels. Annual updates are conducted on checklists of fauna such as the Damselfly, Dragonfly and Butterflies.
WAR’s MAIN PROJECT ACTIVITES ON PHU QUOC ISLAND
WAR’s main project activities have been focused on the topic shown below.
The Conduct of Biological Surveys on the Fauna and Flora of Phu Quoc.
This is part of an embryonic conservation programme. WAR is supporting strategic surveys by wildlife specialists. Surveys include a wild orchid survey a herpetorological survey, and a bat survey, a primate assessment and fresh water fish, bird and butterfly surveys. In addition, WAR staff worked on the production of field guides that will help to train forest rangers, enabling them to incorporate basic ecotourism services into their normal patrol duties. The books will also serve as basic photographic guides for tourists with an interest in natural history.
The most recent butterfly survey conducted recorded well over 150 species. It reveals even greater species diversity on the Island than originally thought. Over 55 dragonfly and damselfly species have already been observed.
WAR is also working with the Island authorities in an effort to minimize the environmental impact of mass tourism on Phu Quoc National Park. It has supported the drafting of a list of recommendations in the form of an ecotourism strategy document. A pilot butterfly breeding program for common species has been launched at Mango Bay Resort as part of a programme to conserve marine stocks by developing alternative income streams for local fisherman. Other plans include production of an endangered plant ID guide and establishment of a seed bank. Preliminary surveys of Phu Quoc’s plant life have already produced some spectacular discoveries, including several endangered orchid species.
Introduction and Support of Several Participatory Sustainable Development Models
These involve mud and swimming crab cultivation models, a butterfly demonstration site, and a wild orchid garden.
Direct Training and Support to PQNP Staff
This includes ecotourism training to Park staff and relevant agencies, ‘on-the-job’ training on how to conduct wildlife surveys, and how to publish survey results.
Rehabilitation of the Locally Endangered Plant Species: Dipterocarpus intricatus
This has consisted of the implementation of a trial regrowth programme that involves collecting seeds, establishing a nursery, instituting trials on seedlings and then actually planting suitable seedlings in the field.
Public Awareness Campaign
This has involved training on how to conserve nature within a sustainable ecotourism environment.
‘Quick Click’ Easy Find
Contact details of the Manager, Phu Quoc Project, click Contact Us.
WAR is dedicated to protecting the biodiversity of Vietnam. This includes combating illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products.
In pursuit of his protectionist activities, WAR has been cooperating with the following international organizations:
1. ENV: Education for Nature Vietnam
2. AAF: Animals Asia Foundation
3. WSPA: World Society for the Protection of Animals
4. FTB: Free the Bears Fund
As a result of this cooperation, a recent news article appeared in the Korean Joong Ang Daily. This highlighted the Vietnamese call for Koreans not to visit bear bile farms in Vietnam and not to buy bile extracted from Moon bears imprisoned in cages. It seems that part of the problem with this on-going trade in bile is that many Koreans were unaware that it is still illegal to buy bile from ‘farmed’ bears.
In early September of 2013, WAR published volume 3 of the serials of postcards titled: “Rescued Wildlife”. These bilingual sets of postcards in Vietnamese and English are sized 13cmX18cm. Each volume includes ten postcards i.e. ten stories and real photos of ten different endangered wildlife species rescued by WAR.
Some of them were released back to the wild and some are being taken care at WAR’s rescue facilities.
By publishing those postcards, WAR hopes that the public will pay more attention to Vietam’s endangered wildlife as well as rescue activities.
In early September of 2013, WAR published volume 2 of the serials of postcards titled: “Rescued Wildlife”. These bilingual sets of postcards in Vietnamese and English are sized 13cmX18cm. Each volume includes ten postcards i.e. ten stories and real photos of ten different endangered wildlife species rescued by WAR.
Some of them were released back to the wild and some are being taken care at WAR’s rescue facilities. By publishing those postcards, WAR hopes that the public will pay more attention to Vietam’s endangered wildlife as well as rescue activities.
