Kien Giang, 13 July 2012 – Hon Me Wildlife Rescue Station received a female leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) from a local people from Linh Quynh Commune, Hon Dat District, Kien Giang Province. The leopard cat weighs about 2.5kg and in fairly good condition. Currently, WAR staff at Hon Me Wildlife Rescue Station is taking good care of this animal in order to release it back to the wild.

Local people handing the Leopard Cat to Hon Me Wildlife Rescue Station 

This is the first time, local people have handed on endangered wildlife to Hon Me Wildlife Rescue Station voluntarily. WAR highly appreciates this action and encourages other people to hand on wildlife to its rescue stations.
However, WAR does not encourage purchasing endangered wildlife for any purpose.

Dated 22th June, 2012–Cat Tien Bear and Wild Cat Rescue Station received one individual of Lesser Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos javanicus) that weighed roughly 7kg and with one wing missing, mostly due to a snare trap. This endangered bird was bought by a local people and then confiscated by the Forest Protection Department of Dinh Quan District, Dong Nai Province.

Currently, the stork is carefully watched by WAR’s veterinarian at the station. However, with one wing missing, this bird is not able to seek for food in the wild and thus will never be released back to the forest.

The rescued Lesser Adjutant Stork with one wing missing Lesser Adjutant Storks are beautiful big birds which are becoming rare. So far, approximately 100 pairs of this species are found during breeding season at U Minh Thuong National Park, and only some individuals are found at Cat Tien National Park. It’s listed in the Vietnam Red Book as Rare species (R), due to habitat lost and illegal hunting for pet. Purchasing endangered wildlife contributes to illegal wildlife trade and thus drives wildlife to the brink of extinction. WAR encourages everyone not to purchase wildlife for any purpose. 

24th June, 2012 – Local people from Tay Ninh Province contacted WAR and voluntarily handed over three individuals of Malayan Porcupine (Hystrix brachyuran) to the Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station (WRS). The three porcupines weighed more than 25 kg total and include one male adult, one female adult and one young porcupine. Currently, the porcupines are receiving proper care and are being rehabilitated for possible release back to the wild.

 WAR highly appreciates all local people who have contacted and handed over wildlife voluntarily to our rescue stations.

16^th May, 2012 – Six individuals of Moon Bear (Ursus thibetanus) were rescued successfully and safely transferred to Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station (CCWRS). These bears have been kept in small concrete cages for bile exploitation since 2005 in Tien Giang Province.

Six Moon Bears were bought from Binh Duong province when they were 3 months-old. Encouraged by WAR, Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department (FPD) and FPD Tien Giang Province, the owner decided to hand over these bears to CCWRS. The bears are now receiving proper care for health recovering and rehabilitating.

These six moon bears add up to a total of 63 moon bears and sun bears which are being rescued at WAR’s facilities, including CCWRS, Cat Tien Bear and Wild Cat Rescue Station, and Hon Me Wildlife Rescue Station. You are welcome to visit the bears and other endangered wildlife in these facilities. 

18^th April, 2012 –Wildlife At Risk (WAR) co-operates with Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department, Central Committee for South Viet Nam and Lo Go Xa Mat National Park, Tay Ninh Province to successfully rescue two Moon Bears (Ursus thibetanus) and two Yellow- cheeked  Gibbons (Nomascus gabriellae). These endangered species were safely transferred to Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station (CCWRS). 

Both Moon Bears were missing front paws, which most likely were lost in a snare trap or had been been removed for use in traditional medicines and wine. They also have several loss of their backs, neck and shoulder area due to malnutrition and lack of care. According to the owner of these Moon Bears, they were bought from local people from Cambodia and captured in 2001. The two gibbons were exhausted and severely dehydrated and under-nourished due to improper care in captivity for many years.  

These Moon Bears and Yellow-checked Crested Gibbons are currently being well cared for recovering by WAR staff at the Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station. The owner admitted these bears were used for the collection of “bile” and had been kept in small concrete enclosures for over 10 years. Due to the improper care, missing paws, these bears have lost their wild instincts and would not survive in the wild. They can never be released to the wild where bears belong To visit and support these endangered species, please contact the Manager of Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station at lam.lx@wildlifeatrisk.org or phone number 0984281190. Lan Ho Thi Kim – Lam Le Xuan

18^th April 2012– Wildlife At Risk (WAR) works with Kien Giang Forest Protection Department to successfully rescue three Javan Pangolins (Manis javanica). They were confiscated by the Kien Luong District Forest Protection Department, then safely transferred to the Hon Me Wildlife Rescue Station (HMWRS). The pangolins are in good health each weighing roughly 5 kgs. They are currently being well cared for by WAR staff at the rescue facility. 

According to the Viet Nam Red Book, Javan Pangolins are classified as “endangered species” with a high risk of extinction. Since the early 1990’s, the number of wild pangolins has seriously decreased due to the illegal hunting and trading for its meat and demand for traditional medicines. Previously, when Kien Giang FPD confiscated illegal wildlife there was nowhere for them to trasfer the species, now the HMWRS is fully functional, rescued wildlife in the Mekong Delta Region can be cared for and successfully rehabilitated for potential release back to the wild. Once these three Pangolins have received successful rehabilitation and been cleared by our professional trained Veterinarian staff, they will soon be released back to the wild where they belong. The HMWRS is now open to the public, to visit please contact WAR atinfo@wildlifeatrisk.org, or visit our website at here Lan Ho Thi Kim – Simon Faithfull

8th February 2012 – Four Moon Bears, one male and three females, were handed voluntarily to Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station by a business man from Binh Duong province.  Taken care by WAR’s staff, these bears are now looking forward for a new chapter in their lives.

All four bears were in bad condition when being preliminarily examined by the staff. One bear lost one paw. It is most likely that the paw was lost in a snare trap or has been cut off for use in traditional Chinese medicine. This bear also has no hair on its back due to a kind of fungi. Other three are quite aggressive. Currently, all four bears are carefully watched by the veterinarian and zoo keeper at the station. It is estimated that the four bears will soon getting better and enjoy a much better condition in the Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station.

Last year, more than 1000 individuals of endangered species were rescued at Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station. This number is quite large for the station with a total area of only 4000m2. We are looking forward for your kindness supports to expand the Station and to provide adequate food, medicine and comfortable enclosures to each endangered animal at Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station.  You can support us in many ways. Please visit our page at www.wildlifeatrisk.org or contact Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station Manager at:  Mobile phone: +849 84281190; email: lam_wildlife@yahoo.com

Sadly, despite how better the four bears will be doing, it’s likely that they will never be released to the wild. These bears were kept for more than ten years in small concrete cages and perhaps they have been milked for bile all that time. This makes the bears lost its wild instincts and not be able to earn food and thus survive in the wild. Also, when released to the wild, captured bears intent to go look for food at civil area and they might be hunted and captured again.

These bears and other animals at the station those can never be released to the wild are great lesson for the audience to appreciate wildlife and urge them to be willing to help us save the wildlife.

We hope you join us save the bears!

17 November 2011 – Staff from Wildlife At Risk (WAR) in cooperation with Binh Phuoc Provincial Forest Protection Department and Binh Phuoc polices successfully rescue and release seven King Cobras (Ophiophagus hannah) to Cat Tien National Park. 

These King cobras were rescued while being traded illegally over the border from Cambodia. The illegal trader was arrested by Forest Protection Department officials and Local Police officials from Binh Phuoc Province on 15th November 2011. If prosecuted he could face up to seven years in prison.

King cobra is critically endangered species and has become quite rare in Vietnam due to illegal hunting and trading. 

WAR highly appreciates Binh Phuoc officials for their decisive actions in arresting the trader and saving Vietnam’s Endangered Wildlife.

Ho Chi Minh City, 19th July 2011 – Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station (CCWRS) of Wildlife At Risk (WAR) received a large number of monitor lizards and turtles. This is the first time WAR has received the biggest individuals since the beginning of 2011.

Thirty-seven of elongated tortoises (Testudo elongata), two orange-headed temple turtles (Heosemys grandis), one yellow-headed temple turtles (Hieremys annandalii) and six bengal monitors (Varanus bengalensis) with the total weight of 51.8 kgs (included 38.1 kgs of turtles and 13.8 kgs of monitors) are the result of a confiscation from an illegal wildlife transport. Currently, this case is being investigated by authorities.

Arcording to Viet Nam Red Book, orange-headed temple turtles are classified as vulnerable (VU), other three species are classified as endangered (EN). These species are being pushed to the brink of extinction in the near future.

Staff from WAR efforts to rescue these forty-six individuals in CCWRS.

Ho Chi Minh City, 20th June 2011 – Staff from Wildlife At Risk (WAR) in cooperation with Ho Chi Minh City Fisheries Quality Assurance and Aquatic Resources Protection Department, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Forest Protection Department of Ho Chi Minh City have successfully rescued twelve endangered sea turtles from Suoi Tien Cultural Tourist Park in District 9.

A total of 11 hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) and one green turtle (Chelonia mydas) weighing between 3.8 – 27 kgs were being kept at Suoi Tien on display for the general public. All the worlds seven species are classified as “endangered species” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and protected under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). Both hawksbill and green turtles are being pushed towards extinction by the illegal trade of wildlife and are protected under Vietnamese Law.

Representatives from Suoi Tien Cultural Tourist Park were eventually persuaded by local governmental officials to hand the endangered turtles over to WAR staff to be successfully transferred to the Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station (CCWRS).

The twelve sea turtles will stay at CCWRS for further rehabilitation, medical evaluation for a short while before they’re released back to the wild. Visit the rescue station soon to see these amazing reptiles and show your support to Vietnams’ endangered wildlife.

WAR wants to remind everyone never buy or consume any wildlife products and report wildlife crimes.