Help 30 Women Fight Wildlife Crime in Vietnam

Wildlife crime poses a significant threat to biodiversity and ecosystems in various regions across the globe. In Vietnam, this illegal activity is driven by the demand for exotic pets, traditional medicines, and luxury goods. Amidst this challenge, a dedicated group of 30 women has stepped up to lead the fight against wildlife crime. Your support is crucial to our efforts in combating this illegal trade.

We are thrilled to share that in the first quarter of 2024 alone, our female-led Wildlife Crime Unit logged over 638 new wildlife crime cases, consisting of more than 2,000 individual violations. With support from ENV, a total of 364 live wild animals have been rescued or voluntarily transferred from January to March of this year.

Below are some examples of successful cases since our last report:

• Following a public report to ENV, the Tam Diep Yen Mo District Forest Protection Department confiscated a stump-tailed macaque, a Chinese stripe-necked turtle, and a Burmese python from a pagoda in Ninh Binh province. The animals were transferred to the rescue center at Cuc Phuong National Park (Case ref. 29802/ENV).

• A report to the ENV Hotline led to the inspection of a shop in Dak Lak province by the Buon Ma Thuot Police. The inspection uncovered the illegal sale of prohibited goods, including 32 ivory rings and 4 ivory pendants. As a result, authorities issued the shop owner a fine of VND 195 million (USD 7,700) (Case ref. 26344/ENV).

• The Lam Dong People's Committee took action in response to a report from ENV regarding online wildlife advertising, leading to the imposition of a VND 85 million fine (USD 3,400) on a man for advertising wildlife. This case was initially brought to ENV’s attention in July 2021 and involved the advertisement of tiger claws, bear claws, bear gallbladders, and ivory products. Despite prior warnings from ENV, the individual remained uncooperative. This time, all his online accounts were shut down (Case ref. 20399/ENV).

• ENV assisted a citizen in transferring a Southern buff-cheeked gibbon to the Hai Phong City Forest Protection Department in cooperation with the Endangered Primate Rescue Center in Cuc Phuong National Park, which is currently caring for the animal (Case ref. 30143/ENV).

• An informant called the ENV Hotline to report two macaques being kept at a restaurant in Hanoi. We contacted the Forest Protection Department and upon inspection, it was discovered that there were not two, but four Assamese macaques. The macaques were confiscated and transferred to the Hanoi Wildlife Rescue Center (Case ref. 30403/ENV).

• With ENV’s assistance, a person voluntarily transferred four critically endangered Bourret's box turtles to the Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department. The turtles were then relocated to the Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station. Bourret's box turtles are granted the highest level of protection under Vietnamese law (Case ref. 30385/ENV).

Legislation and Policy Team

The Policy and Legislation team at ENV has provided assistance and guidance to law enforcement agencies in their efforts to apprehend and prosecute criminals.

Some of the most recent legal prosecutions include the following cases:

• The Cao Bang Provincial Court sentenced two smugglers and a taxi driver to 19 years in prison for illegally transporting 132 exotic wildlife species, including 10 live grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus), five live yellow-crested cockatoos (Cacatua sulphurea), 75 live rose-ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri), 16 meerkats (Suricata suricatta), and three red-necked wallabies (Notamacropus rufogriseus). Another driver was fined VND 60 million for his involvement in the smuggling case (Case ref. 26334/ENV).

• The Nghi Son Town Court sentenced three individuals in Thanh Hoa to a combined total of over 18 years in prison for their involvement in the transportation and sale of seven pangolins (Case ref. 25863/ENV).

• A subject in Quang Ninh received a 6-year prison sentence for illegally transporting four live Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) weighing a total of 27.4 kg on his motorbike (Case ref. 30251/ENV).

• Quang Nam Provincial Court refused an appeal request and upheld a 13-year prison sentence for two women who illegally traded a variety of wild species, including two Indochinese rat snakes (Ptyas korros) and 69 turtles comprising 11 Bourret's box turtles (Cuora bourreti), two big-headed turtles (Platysternon megacephalum), 14 keeled box turtles (Cuora mouhotii), seven Chinese stripe-necked turtles (Mauremys sinensis), 33 Asian stripe-necked leaf turtles (Cyclemys pulchristriata), an Asian leaf turtle (Cyclemys oldhami), and an elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) (Case ref. 21406/ENV).

Communications and Public Awareness Team

Our Communications team continued their multifaceted work to raise public awareness of wildlife protection in Vietnam through education and community engagement.

For years, ENV has broadcast messages on VOV Traffic, the most popular Vietnamese radio channel, to discourage the public from committing crimes against wildlife. Our most recent deterrence campaign urges people to avoid wildlife violations and informs them about the severe penalties, including prison sentences of up to 15 years, that are being enforced by authorities. The messages will be broadcast on VOV Traffic daily for the next 6 months in Hanoi and, for the first time, in Ho Chi Minh City as well.

In April, we released a wild bird protection guide, titled “Wild Birds Prohibited or Restricted from Advertising and Trade,” in support of law enforcement efforts to implement the Prime Minister’s directive on the conservation of wild and migratory birds. The guide features 264 species of wild and migratory birds, complete with photos for easy identification and information on their protection status. Birds included in the guide are endangered, prohibited, or restricted from trade, and require documentation proving their legal origin.

Lastly, in May we released “The ENV Call Center”, our 57^th Public Service Announcement, encouraging public mobilization to protect wildlife by reporting wildlife violations to the toll-free ENV Wildlife Crime Hotline at 1800-1522.

Without your donations, these vital actions to protect wildlife would not have been possible.

Thank you, and until next time!

The ENV Team 

When we look back at what has been achieved in 2023, we can't help but feel proud to share our accomplishments with you. In 2023, the ENV team was joined by more courageous women, increasing their numbers to 36 wildlife warriors.

Your unwavering support made it all possible, bringing Vietnam one step closer to ending wildlife trafficking and exploitation. There's still a long way to go, but every success is a step in the right direction, and we are grateful to all those involved in ENV’s efforts to protect wildlife and preserve Vietnam’s precious biodiversity.

In 2023, the ENV Wildlife Crime Unit logged over 3,500 wildlife crime cases, largely thanks to reports from members of the public to our Hotline. These resulted in the rescue of more than 2,500 live wild animals from the illegal wildlife trade, through confiscations and voluntary transfers.

Animals rescued include bears, tigers, pangolins, macaques, various reptiles, and a variety of tortoises and turtles.

The following are a few examples of successful cases that have occurred since our last report:

• An Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) was voluntarily transferred to Ninh Binh Bear Sanctuary, making Hai Duong the latest bear farm-free province, together with 45 other provinces across Vietnam (Case ref. 13712/ENV). In addition, two more Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) from a bear farm in Hanoi were voluntarily transferred to the Bear Rescue Center in Bach Ma National Park (Case ref. 2833/ENV).

• 2,600 kg of pangolin scales were seized, and two subjects were arrested during a collaborative operation undertaken with the Nghe An Economic Police (Case ref. 28974/ENV).

• ENV assisted a resort in Nho Quan district of Ninh Binh province in voluntarily transferring six long-tailed macaques to Cuc Phuong National Park (Case ref. 27203/ENV).

• In response to a public report to the ENV Wildlife Crime Hotline, the Thai Binh Provincial Forest Protection Department confiscated three pig-tailed macaques (Macaca leonina), two rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), a Burmese python (Python bivittatus), and two crocodiles from a resort in Thai Binh province. The animals were relocated to Hoang Lien National Park (Case ref. 3098/ENV).

• In December 2023, ENV witnessed the incineration of 456.9 kg of ivory, 138.7 kg of rhino horn, 6.2 tonnes of pangolin scales, and 3.1 tonnes of lion bones – all evidence from two cases of port seizures occurring in 2021 and 2022 respectively – carried out by the Da Nang Civil Judgment Enforcement Department (Case refs. 20572, 22583/ENV). 

Legislation and Policy Team

Overall, in 2023, ENV’s Policy and Legislation team assisted in more than 60 criminal cases, providing input and support to law enforcement agencies aimed at bringing criminals to justice. Among the most recent prosecutions, the following cases were particularly notable:

• In October 2023, a six-year prison sentence was given to a man found in possession of a tiger trophy, a tiger head trophy, six tiger skins, a leopard (Panthera pardus) skin, and a suspected wild buffalo head trophy (Case ref. 26137/ENV).

• In November 2023, a 12-year sentence was handed down to a man who smuggled 11.82 kg of rhino horn and 4.712 kg of ivory bracelets from Angola to Vietnam (Case ref. 27000/ENV).

• In November 2023, a woman was sentenced to 12 months of suspended sentence and 24 months’ probation by Buon Don District Court for illegally selling bear claws on social media (Case ref. 24261/ENV).

• In December 2023, Lao Cai City Court sentenced a subject reported to the ENV Wildlife Crime Hotline to a suspended sentence of 12 months and 24 months’ probation for selling a pygmy slow loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus) on the street (Case ref. 27838/ENV).

Communications and Public Awareness Team

In November 2023, ENV released the fourth Public Service Announcement (PSA) of 2023 and ENV’s 56th, titled “Knock Knock.” The PSA aims to raise public awareness about everyday wildlife crimes and the negative consequences associated with these violations. In the PSA, examples of common wildlife crimes are shown through a series of snapshots featuring individuals of different genders, ages, and social statuses. Some of these people seem to be engaged in “normal” daily activities without realizing that they are doing something in violation of the law and might face consequences.

Furthermore, to reach a wider audience and to raise awareness about wildlife protection, we partnered with the Department of Information and Communications to send text messages to 1.9 million mobile subscribers in Dak Lak, a region in Vietnam notorious for being an ivory retail hotspot. The message aimed to encourage local people to stop trading ivory, reduce the demand for it, and promote reports of any violations to the ENV Wildlife Crime Hotline.

Finally, in December, in collaboration with our partner Sporting Republic, we hosted Vietnam’s first “Run for Turtles,” the 14th Song Hong Half Marathon. The event aimed at promoting the conservation of turtles and encouraging the public not to illegally buy or sell turtles or keep them as pets and saw 500 runners from 27 countries participating.

Your contribution has been crucial in the many successful endeavors achieved in the past year. We look forward to sharing more news with you as we keep up the fight for wildlife with the same energy and motivation as the day ENV was founded 15 years ago.

Thank you, and until next time!