[enviro-vlc] Weekly News Bulletin E397

[ENV Communication]

E397 December 24, 2010

 

Top News

A full version of each story can be obtained by accessing links provided on our website.
http://envietnam.org/E_News/E_397.html

No country for elephants
The hamlet of Don in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak has long been known as the "kingdom of elephants", but elephants in the area are being pushed to the brink of extinction. A report at the conference: "Preserving elephants and minimizing conflicts between elephants and humans" held at Nam Cat Tien National Park in November 2009, said the country has around 80 elephants left in the wild, nearly 50 percent less than five years before. Experts fear wild elephants will become extinct in the next 10-20 years unless they are carefully protected.

Since 2009, four wild elephants have been killed for their parts near the Vietnam-Cambodia border, a known habitat for a herd of more than 30 elephants. According to local authorities, poachers were responsible for most of the deaths, targeting not only wild elephants for their tusks and tails, but domesticated elephants as well. Thieves have even excavated the graves of dead elephants.
(English version)
No country for elephants: Sunset over a kingdom
No country for elephants: Devil and deep blue sea

No country for elephants: Tame elephant brutalized

Hai Duong: Forty-six pangolins seized
On December 19, authorities in Hai Duong province checked a 12-seater van and discovered 46 pangolins. The driver admitted that he had purchased the pangolins in Hoa Binh province to sell in Quang Ninh province. The animals were transferred to the Hai Duong Forest Protection Department (FPD).
(Vietnamese version)
Hai Duong: bat giu 46 ca the te te

Nghe An: Macaque killed in Nghe An Forest after attacking local residents
On December 20, many Chau Hong Commune residents visited the  local People's Committee to see the macaque that had attacked people on numerous occasions over a period of four months. A local resident said the FPD did not do anything to stop the macaque, forcing residents to kill the macaque by themselves. The chief of the FPD said the macaque's body will remain at the local People's Committee before being destroyed.
(Vietnamese version)
Ha khi chuyen tan cong nguoi

 

Hanoi: Smuggled wildlife's transit through Vietnam
On December 21 at the conference of Prevention Against Wildlife Crime organized in Hanoi, Environmental Police (EP) said that around 4,000 to 4,500 tons of wild animals and their products (mainly primates, bears, pangolins, turtles, cobras, elephant tusk, and rhino horns) are traded and transported illegally from Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia through Vietnam to China.

According to a representative from the General Customs Department, customs have detected 14 cases of illegally imported wildlife at Hai Phong Port, and confiscated 13.5 tons of ivory, and over 30 tons of meat, scales, and turtle shells since 2005. The Deputy Head of Hanoi's EP said that there are more than 200 restaurants and hotels openly advertising for wildlife products. 

(Vietnamese version)
hang ngan tan DVHD qua canh VN

 

Biodiversity loss in Vietnam

On December 21 at the conference which reviewed the implementation of National Action Plans on Biodiversity for the period 2007-2010, Mr. Bui Cach Tuyen, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources & the Environment, said that the important natural ecosystem areas of Vietnam are shrinking. The number of species and quantity of wild animals has decreased dramatically, and wild genetic resources have also seen a serious decline, leading to ecological imbalance. At the conclusion of 2010, only 13.39 million hectares of national forest areas exist equating to a coverage of 35%, which does not achieve the 42-43% goal of National Action Plans on Biodiversity approved by the Prime Minister. 

(Vietnamese version)
VN dang mat can bang sinh thai 

 

 

ENV's activities

 

Malayan sun bear transferred to Tam Dao Rescue Center

On December 21, a Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) weighing around 60-70kg was transferred to the Tam Dao Rescue Center with the cooperation of the Asia Animal Fund (AAF) and the Thua Thien - Hue FPD, and the assistance of ENV. 



On November 29, ENV's Wildlife Crime Office received a tip from the FPD that a local resident wanted to voluntarily transfer the bear, which was not chipped and had been in captivity for many years. ENV immediately informed AAF who agreed to assist and made contact with the FPD regarding the transfer.



The Malayan sun bear belongs to group IB of Decree 32/ND-CP - the group of rare wild animals forbidden to be in captivity, hunted, traded or killed. After the deadline passed for the registration of bears in captivity across the country on February 28, 2005, all illegal additional bears discovered are to be seized by authorities. The possession of unregistered bears is illegal, and the bear bile extraction from both registered and unregistered bears is also against the law. 

http://envietnam.org/library/Sub%20parts%20of%20news-activities/Malayan_sun_bear_transferred_to_Tam_Dao_Rescue_Center.html

 

Seven macaques transferred to Soc Son Rescue Center

On December 24, seven captive macaques in Hue were transferred to the Soc Son Rescue Center (RC). The transfer includes three Pig-tailed macaques (Macaca leonina), three stump - tailed macaques (Macaca arctoides), and one Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta)

 

Since 2008, ENV Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) documented these violations in seven different local residents' houses and business establishments. 

 

Thanks to the efforts of local Forest Protection Department, ENV WCU and wildlife protection volunteers, the owners were convinced to voluntarily turn over these macaques.  These animals are now on the way to their new home, Soc Son RC. 

Link to photos on the rescue with ENV staff presence.

http://envietnam.org/library/Sub%20parts%20of%20news-activities/Seven_macaques_transferred_to_Soc_Son_Rescue_Center.html

 

 

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Join ENV's Facebook Group

The ENV team regularly updates our Facebook group with wildlife crime news, interesting cases and information about our other work. Click on this link to join our group and help save Vietnam's wildlife: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=47162312016

 



 

Please note:  Past bulletins can be found on ENV's website www.envietnam.org

    


Communication and Public Awareness Department 

Education for Nature - Vietnam 
No. 5, Lane 192 Thai Thinh, Dong Da District
Hanoi, Vietnam 
Phone/fax: +84 4 35148850 - ext: 201, 202
E-mail:  communication.env at gmail.com

             communication.env at fpt.vn

Website: www.envietnam.org  (English) 
              www.thiennhien.org  (Vietnamese) 
              www.savingvietnamswildlife.org  (English wildlife trade website) 

 
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