Nearly 600 organizations and individuals raising wild animals in Nghe An are strictly managed.

Nearly 600 households are licensed to raise wild animals.

According to statistics from the Nghe An Forest Protection Department, up to now, the whole province has had 568 households, individuals and organizations licensed to raise wild animals, with nearly 100 species. Commonly raised species include deer, mink, porcupine, bamboo rat, wild boar, etc. This is an important source of livelihood, helping many families escape poverty and become rich. In particular, deer - a famous specialty of Nghe An - are raised in many localities, becoming a key commodity product.

Notably, in Nghe An, there are currently 5 households licensed to raise bears with 14 individuals. These are households registered before 2000, and are allowed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) to raise them for their entire life cycle. All bears were fitted with electronic tracking chips from 2005 to 2008 and were further fitted in 2018 to ensure strict control.

Mr. Le Dai Thang - Deputy Head of Forest Protection Management - Nature Conservation, Nghe An Forest Protection Department said that the demand for keeping wild animals in captivity in Nghe An is quite diverse, from ornamental purposes, entertainment, commercial business to scientific research. However, many people still violate regulations such as not making a list of forest products, not registering codes for domestic animals. These are seemingly small mistakes but directly affect management and supervision. Therefore, in the recent time, during the inspection and supervision process, Nghe An Forest Protection Department has regularly reminded people to complete in accordance with the provisions of the law.

Mr. Thang also said that the legal framework on wildlife captivity is being increasingly improved. Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment issued Circular No. 27/2025/TT-BNNMT dated June 24, 2025, effective from July 1, 2025.

Accordingly, for common wild animals, the household must ensure the legal origin of the species, safe cages, not located in areas prohibited from raising animals, and have a logbook. Within 3 days of bringing the animals in, the forestry agency and local authorities must be notified. The purchase and sale must have a list of forest products.

Particularly for rare wild animals in group IIB, the household must build standard cages; must complete registration documents and be issued a code by the forest rangers before raising the animals. It is necessary to ensure veterinary and environmental hygiene conditions. If raising for commercial purposes, a business license must be registered according to the Investment Law.

In addition, in cases of raising wild animals for scientific research, the captive breeding must strictly comply with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and other international conventions to which Vietnam is a party.

Strengthening management work

It can be said that nearly 600 households and organizations in Nghe An are licensed to raise wild animals, showing that the need to keep wild animals in captivity in the community is very large. This is also an opportunity to exploit the economic and social potential of this specific field. However, it also requires increasingly high management requirements, requiring drastic and synchronous participation from the government and the people.

In fact, in addition to granting licenses to households, individuals and organizations to keep wild animals in captivity, recently, relevant levels, sectors and localities in the province have paid special attention to the management, inspection and supervision of wild animal keeping activities, especially in the context of increasingly complex climate change and natural disasters.

Most recently, on July 21, 2025, Nghe An Forest Protection Department issued Official Dispatch No. 609/KL-BTTN on strengthening inspection of barn safety during the 2025 storm season. In particular, it requires Forest Protection Departments to coordinate with Commune-level People's Committees to regularly inspect and urge captive facilities, especially those raising ferocious species such as bears, tigers, lions, venomous snakes, etc. to ensure barn safety before, during and after rain and storms.

Facilities must proactively reinforce barns, count the number of animals, stockpile food, carry out environmental sanitation, and provide veterinary care. The province's viewpoint is to absolutely not allow animals to escape from their cages, endangering people...

Previously, on July 8, 2025, the Forest Protection Department also issued Official Dispatch No. 566/KL-BTTN implementing Circular 27/2025/TT-BNNMT regulating the management of endangered, precious and rare species, raising common wild animals and implementing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. In particular, it requires affiliated units, especially Pu Mat National Park and biodiversity conservation facilities, to carefully study and disseminate the content of the Circular for unified and serious implementation.

In addition to inspection and examination work, Nghe An also focuses on propaganda and raising public awareness. Training courses and propaganda conferences are held in many localities, helping households understand the legal regulations and responsibilities when participating in the captivity of wild animals. People are encouraged to monitor and report violations, creating "eyes and ears" to support authorities in management.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan - Deputy Head of Nghe An Forest Protection Department added: "Raising wild animals is a model that brings high income to people. If people understand the regulations and voluntarily comply, the management work will be much easier and more effective. Because the forest protection agency cannot monitor each household and each individual animal, the most important thing is the cooperation and companionship from the people themselves."