Ho Chi Minh City, dated 6^th March 2013 – Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station (WRS) received one male and one female of Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) from a local people from Vinh An Commune, Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City. The cats those weighed nearly seven kilograms total were fairly healthy and still be wild behaviour. Once being rehabilitated, the cats will be released to its suitable habitats.

 To date, Cu Chi WRS has been successfully rescued and released 12 individuals of leopard cat. Most of them were confiscated from illegal wildlife trade.Leopard cat feeds on small mammals, birds and other small animals. Each individual has its own territory. It normally stays away from civilization areas. However, due to its soft and beautiful fur, Leopard Cat is being hunted severely for fashion and decoration purposes. It is also hunted for meat and medicine. The number of leopard cat in nature is degrading steadily.  

Leopard cat is protected under 32-HĐBT Decree, in which hunting and trading of the species in any form is prohibited. WAR recommends that people should not purchase leopard cat for any purpose. If you are noticed of leopard cat and other endangered wild animals being captured, illegally traded or consumed, please call WAR’s hotline: 0976 06 76 46 or contact WAR’s rescued facilities .

KienGiang, dated 5^thJuly, 2013 – Hon Me Wildlife Rescue Station (WRS) received a female Pygmy Loris(Nycticebus pygmaeus), weighing 150 grams from Can Tho Forest Protection Department (FPD). Wildlife At Risk (WAR) cooperated with Kien Giang FPD to rescue this individual. After almost nine hours travel by car, this Loris had been transferred safely to Hon Me WRS.

Rescued Pygmy LorisArriving Hon Me WRS, the animal was isolated and taken good care for health recovery. In the future, this Loriswill be rehabilitated and be ready for possible releasing back to the wild. Currently, Hon Me WRS are housing five Pygmy Loris. Of which, four were transferred from Cu Chi WRS. This is the first time Hon Me WRS have received this endangered species from an other province. This activity marked initial collaboration of Hon Me WRS and other provinces in the Mekong Delta. Pygmy Loris is one endangered primate that is listed as vulnerable species (VU) in the Vietnam Red Book. Thespecies’ population in the wild has been steady reduced due to habitat loss and illegal hunting for pet. Let’sLoris live in its natural habitats.

Ho Chi Minh City, 28^th May 2013 –Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station (WRS) for the first time has received two individuals of Green Peafowl (Pavo muticus) and four individuals of Blue Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) of which four are males and the left are females. They are confiscated from an illegal trade facility in Phu Tho Hoa Ward, Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), by Ha Noi Environmental Police in cooperation with HCMC Environmental Police and Forest Protection Department.

Rescued wild peafowls All peafowls are in good health with beautiful shining plumages. The two Green Peafowls will be released soon to a suitable habitat in the south of Vietnam. The four Blue Peafowls which origin from India could not be released to the wild in Vietnam. They will be retained at Cu Chi WRS for educational purposes until appropriate solution is identified. Green Peafowls especially mature males have unique colourful plumage and thus often hunted illegally for pet and sometime for meat. The number of wild peafowls is declining sharply. The species is listed as endangered species (EN) with high risk of extinction in the Vietnam Red Book. 

Also in late May, WAR worked with Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department to rescue and transfer two endangered Moon Bears (Ursus thibetanus) from Binh Thuan Province to Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station. These bears had been captured in two tiny cages for more than 20 years. They were pretty weak and exhausted at rescue time. One of them lost one fore-paw; possibly because of a snare trap. The bears are now closely watched by WAR staff in order to improve its’ health.

Ho Chi Minh City, 17th March 2012 – Wildlife At Risk (WAR) works with Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department and Hoang Phap Pagoda to rescue and safely transfer a crocodile, which could be a critically endangered Siamese Crocodile. This is the first time WAR has successfully transferred a crocodile to the Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station (CCWRS)”.

The crocodile measuring 2m length and weighing roughly 30kg. Two years ago, a local person living in District 7, HCMC bought this crocodile in Dong Thap province and kept it at home. She decided to donate the crocodile to the Hoang Phap Pagoda for “good-luck releasing”. After a discussion with Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department, Hoang  Phap Pagoda decided to hand over this crocodile to CCWRS.

Siamese Crocodiles are the world’s fourth most endangered crocodilian species and are classified as “critically endangered”. They are also listed in the Vietnams’ Red Book. Although the Siamese Crocodile have been raised successfully in several farms throughout Vietnam, it’s only found in one location in the wild, Cat Tien National Park.

WAR staff at CCWRS conducted health check and quarantine this crocodile right when it’s arrived. The Crocodile will be carefully taken care of in order to be ready for being releasing to its right habitat.

After the crocodile was successfully transferred to CCWRS, Mr. Thich Tam Hue – president of the Hoang Phap Pagoda who is a superior Buddhist monk along with other Buddhist monks visited CCWRS and voluntarily handed a King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) of 4.5m length and weighing about 10kg to the rescue station. This King Cobra was also transferred to the Pagoda by a local citizen for good-luck releasing. In the future after quarantine, this King Cobra will also released back to the wild where they belong

WAR does not encourage the purchasing of endangered wildlife for good-luck releasing. However, WAR highly appreciates the cooperation of pagodas and temples donating wildlife to the CCWRS that will eventually be released back to the wild.

Ho Chi Minh City, 1^st November, 2012 – Wildlife At Risk (WAR) works with Ho Chi Minh City Fisheries Quality Assurance and Aquatic Resources Protection Department to successfully rescue one Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) weighing roughly 12 kg. This species, which is classified as “Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red Book, is being pushed towards extinction by the illegal trade of wildlife and is protected under Vietnamese Law and the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).

A local resident found the turtle being sold illegally in an aquarium shop in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. The resident immediately phoned the WAR hot line and managed to persuade the shop owner to voluntarily hand over the turtle to WAR staff. The turtle was successfully transferred to the Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station (CCWRS) and is now receiving the proper care it needs and after rehabilitation, it can be released back to the wild.On the same day, WAR received more wild species from local police in Ward 12, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, including four Flying Squirrels (Hylopestes sp.), one Indochinese Ground Squirrel (Menetes berdmorei), two Red-bellied Tree Squirrels (Callosciurus flavimanus), one Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus) and one Shikra (Accipiter badius). All of these species were safely transferred to the CCWRS for rehabilitation and possible releasing back to the wild in near future. 

Ho Chi Minh City, 11^th October, 2012 – Mr. Nguyen Doan Duc, a local resident from street 20, Hiep Binh Chanh Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City, contacted WAR and voluntarily handed over one Pygmy Loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) that weighed 200 grams to WAR’s head office. The Loris was successfully transferred to the Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station (CCWRS) and is being taken care of and receiving rehabilitation by the station’s wildlife staff. WAR hopes that the loris can be released back to the wild soon. 

Local resident hands over the Loris at WAR’s head office

“This individual was found in the residential area where I live, many people wanted to catch it and  sell it, but I persuaded them to let me keep it and care the poor loris myself, while looking for the correct authorities to receive and rescue it. Luckily finding WAR, I immediately contacted the WAR hotline (0976 067 646) and was instructed to hand the loris over to WAR staff, where it receiving proper care and rehabilitation and the possible release back to the wild” Doan Duc shared.WAR highly appreciates this activity and encourages all local people to voluntarily hand over wildlife to our wildlife rescue stations

Kon Tum, 15^th August 2012 – A male Northern Buffed-cheeked Gibbon (Nomascus annamensis) weighing roughly 3.5kg in fairly good condition was successfully rescued from Kon Tum Province, located in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

The rescued gibbon enjoys its new comfortable facility at Cu Chi WRS The gibbon was bought from a minority people and kept as pet in Ward 2, Sa Thay Town, Kon Tum province. The local people who kept the gibbon decided to hand it to Chu Mom Ray National Park. Kindly supported by the Douc Langur Foundation (DLF) and the International Primate Protection League (IPPL) project, the gibbon was successfully rescued and transferred to Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station. The gibbon is now being well taken care of by WAR staff at the station. It is also being rehabilitated so that it can be released back to its home forest of the central highlands. This is the second time the IPPL – DLF project and Chu Mom Ray National Park have cooperated with WAR to rescue endangered wildlife. The male Northern Yellow-cheeked Crested Gibbon that was rescued last May was also successfully released to the forest of Chu Mom Ray National Park

Ho Chi Minh City, 11^th August, 2012 – Mrs. Dan Phuong, a local resident from Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City contacted WAR and voluntarily handed over two individuals of Pygmy Loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) to the Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station (WRS). One of them is in very bad condition and is now being well taken care by veterinarian and wildlife keepers at the station. The other is currently being rehabilitated for possible release back to the wildin near future.

The two Pygmy Loris handed over by Dan PhuongDan Phuong shared that: “I knew about WAR’s wildlife rescue station when reading the article titled Noi binh yen cho thu hoang  – a peaceful place for wildlife” on the Tuoi Tre (Youth) magazine, Weekend publication, Issue 32/2012. I immediately brought the two Pygmy Loris that I captured to Cu Chi WRS and handed them to the dedicated WAR staff. I believe that the two lorises will be well cared for and may be released back to the forest.”WAR highly appreciates Dan Phuong’s behavior and encourages local people to hand over endangered wildlife that are being captured or kept as pets. However, WAR does not encourage local people to purchase endangered wildlife for any purpose. 

Ho Chi Minh City, 29^th July, 2012 – One individual of Pygmy  Loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) was handed over voluntarily to WAR by a local people in HCMC. The Loris weighed 300 gram and losses skin at its front paw due to a type of afungal disease. Currently, the Loris is receiving proper care at Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station Staff.One day before, one local people in Thu Duc District, HCMC called WAR’s hotline and said that “I bought this Loris yesterday because I felt so sorry for it. I do not want it to be killed by people. I really want WAR to receive this Loris, take care of it and then release it back to the wild”. 

The rescued  Pygmy Loris WAR highly appreciates this action and encourages other people to hand on wildlife to its rescue stations, or to report wildlife crime to WAR’s hotline at: 0976 06 76 46. Purchasing endangered wildlife creates a demand for illegal wildlife trade and hunting and thus pushing endangered animals to the brink of extinction. WAR encourages everyone not to purchase wildlife for any purpose. 

Kien Giang, 26th July 2012 – Wildlife At Risk (WAR) has received one individual of Indochinese Slivered Langur (Trachypithecus villosus) for first time, from Kien Giang Forest Protection Department (FPD). The langur is about six month old and weighed 1kg. Previously, the FPD of Kien Luong District, Kien Giang Province confiscated this animal from a local people who hunted it in the forest. Currently, the langur is receiving proper cares and rehabilitation at Hon Me Wildlife Rescue Station for possible release back to the wild.

Indochinese Slivered Langur is listed in the Vietnam Red Book as Vulnerable species (VU) and protected under Vietnamese Law. Since 1975, the population of this species has been reduced steadily due to habitat lost and illegal hunting for pet, medicine and meat. In Kien Giang province, limestone ecosystem that is home to the Indochinese Silvered Langur is being exploited for cement and other building material productions. The langur has nowhere to live and will soon face the extinction, if no effective conservation method is applied.

According to Mr. Dương Duy Cuong – Veterinarian at Hon Me Wildlife Rescue Station “We are very glad that this baby Langur was rescued just one day before the inauguration ceremony of Hon Me Wildlife Rescue Station. We hope that there will be no illegal hunting in the future so that wildlife doesn’t have to face the extinction.”