Many sophisticated tricks in the trade and captivity of wild animals

Sophisticated tricks

Nghe An owns many untouched primeval forests with high value for conservation and scientific research, such as: Pu Mat National Park, Pu Huong Nature Reserve, Pu Hoat... However, due to its distribution mainly in mountainous districts, along the border with Laos, and the provinces of Ha Tinh and Thanh Hoa, Nghe An has become a transit area and many activities have appeared.trade, transport and captivity of wild animals.

In fact, from 2017 to 2022, on average, 10 cases of wildlife trafficking were seized by the Forest Rangers each year, with approximately 28,550 individuals of wildlife being illegally traded and transported. Not to mention the Police and Border Guard forces, through patrol and control activities, also discovered and arrested many subjects related to this activity.

The subjects and the seized exhibits in an illegal wildlife trafficking case in Con Cuong district. Photo: Ba Hau

Typically, on August 4, 2021, the authorities caught red-handed a tiger breeding facility in a resident's house in Do Thanh commune (Yen Thanh), seizing 17 adult tigers. Regarding this incident, on March 3, 2022, the People's Court of Nghe An province sentenced Nguyen Van Hien (born in 1982), residing in Nam Vuc hamlet, Do Thanh commune (Yen Thanh), to 7 years in prison, who kept 14/17 of the above-mentioned tigers.

Most recently, on February 13, 2023, Dien Chau District Police initiated a criminal case and prosecuted 3 suspects to investigate the act of buying and selling tiger skin and heads. The prosecuted subjects include Truong Sy Hai, Vu Van Thuong, both residing in Dien Lam Commune, and Le Tuan Minh, residing in Dien Doai Commune (Dien Chau). Previously, on January 1, 2023, the Environmental Police Department (Provincial Police) presided over and coordinated with Dien Chau District Police to arrest Nguyen Huu Phong, residing in Huu Kiem Commune (Ky Son) for the act of: "Illegal possession and trading of endangered and rare wild animals". At the scene, the authorities seized 6 animals suspected to be pangolins (5 live animals, 1 dead animal); 2.1 kg of pangolin scales and some other evidence.

Taking care of two monkeys raised at the Wildlife Rescue Center (Pu Mat National Park, Con Cuong). Photo courtesy

According to the assessment of relevant authorities: Recently, the situation of illegal wildlife captivity in the province, although not as rampant as before, still has many potential complications. Not to mention, due to being strictly prosecuted, many subjects have changed their locations and methods of operation to bypass the authorities.

One of the "hot" situations is that wildlife traders and captors often take advantage of trade and commerce between Laos and Cambodia to Vietnam to illegally supply breeding animals. After transporting the breeding animals to the gathering place, they are divided into captive breeding points arranged in basements and in people's houses. During the captivity process, the subjects camouflage and conceal their actions very sophisticatedly, making it difficult for the authorities to detect and handle them. The subjects often modify vehicles and weld iron containers to hide wild animals during transportation.

Continue to strictly control and handle violations

According to statistics, currently in Nghe An there are 12,597 individuals of 95 species of wild animals being kept in captivity in 386 facilities. Although the keeping of wild animals in captivity is controlled by the authorities. However, in reality, because of huge profits, many people still secretly keep them, especially rare wild animals.

Subjects and evidence in a caseTransporting wild animals from Nghe An to the North for consumption was arrested by authorities. Photo: Quynh Trang

Mr. Le Dai Thang - Deputy Head of Forest Management, Protection and Nature Conservation, Nghe An Forest Protection Department said: Recently, the authorities have strengthened the control, inspection and fight against illegal trading, transportation and captivity of wild animals. In particular, establishments and restaurants suspected of trading wild animal meat have been informed and signed a commitment not to trade wild animals.

In addition, every month, the Forest Protection Departments coordinate with local authorities to inspect organizations and households raising wild animals in the area. This includes checking the safety of cages, ensuring the surrounding environment, and understanding the origin of imported and exported wild animals for management. Thereby, promptly detecting wild animals brought into the breeding facilities that do not have legal origins to handle according to the provisions of law and promptly reporting to the Forest Protection Department any changes in breeding facilities and species.

Mr. Thang also admitted that the biggest difficulty in checking and handling is the thin patrol and search force. The subjects hunting and shooting wild animals often operate at night or early morning, so when they are discovered, the authorities cannot catch the violators but only seize the evidence.

The implementation, coordination and collaboration between agencies, units and localities in the fight against violations of wildlife management still face many difficulties, due to the customs and habits of using wildlife products among the people that have not been completely eliminated. Some people still have the habit of using wild animals such as birds and animals as pets, causing resentment in society.

Propaganda to say no to illegal use of wild animals in Nghe An. Photo: Tien Dong

In Vinh city, in recent times, Vinh - Cua Lo Forest Protection Department has received 5 wild animals handed over by people, including 1 long-tailed macaque, 1 pig-tailed macaque, 2 small loris and 1 Javanica pangolin. However, according to the representative of Vinh - Cua Lo Forest Protection Department, currently, handling cases of arbitrary raising of birds and animals as pets is still difficult. Because before, when Decree No. 84/2021/ND-CP dated September 22, 2021 on the management of endangered and rare forest plants and animals and the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, had not yet been issued, raising birds and animals as pets was not a violation. But now, according to Decree 84, all species of birds and pets must be managed, but there are no transitional provisions for individuals raised before this Decree. Therefore, some individuals want to complete the registration procedures according to the law but cannot do so because they cannot prove the origin of the animals...

Thus, in addition to inspection, control, propaganda, mobilization, and commitment signing, the fight against crimes related to illegal hunting, shooting, trading, storing, transporting, and captivity of wild animals needs to be carried out regularly and continuously, only then can we protect wild animals, especially when some particularly rare species are facing the risk of extinction./.