Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis) – a rare species
On the last days of 2017, the Center for Wildlife Rescue, Conservation and Development of Bach Ma National Park coordinated with Bach Ma Forest Protection Division to re-release nine individuals of semi-aquatic lizards (Physignathus cocincinus) back to their habitat. These lizards were seized by Loc Hoa Forest Protection Station of Bach Ma Forest Protection Division in their regular patrols.
The results of inspection showed that these lizards had normal health status with a total weight of 1.5 kilograms, and there was no sign of injury. Lizard species are favorite pets. This causes the decreasing number of lizard species in the wild and makes them classified as critically endangered species that need protection in the Red Book of Vietnam.
That there are many people highly conscious of the conservation of wildlife, regardless of those of unawareness, is a favorable condition for wildlife conservation for forest rangers. The local residents’ cooperation has helped with many successful rescues of rare animals.
Impressed Tortoise (Manouria impressa) – an endangered animal released to its habitat
Le Quang Nhat from Thuy Xuan Ward, recently met a street vender who sold leopard cats (felis bengalensis). Interested, he exchanged his precious bird pet for a leopard cat. He was unaware that the leopard cat was an endangered species. On his way home, he was stopped by Hue forest rangers. Nhat was voluntary to hand in the animal to the rangers when they explained the critical situation of the species to him. Soon after that, Hue Forest Protection Division handed over the leopard cat to the Center for Wildlife Rescue, Conservation and Development of Bach Ma National Park to release it to nature.
Hearing about the sale of a leopard cat on Le Quang Dao street, Xuan Phu Ward in a year-end evening of 2017, Hoang Tuan Anh thought it might be a rare animal and agreed to pay the vender a ransom. He voluntarily handed in the animal to the provincial Department of Forest Protection. The cat was taken care of by the Center for Wildlife Rescue, Conservation and Development of Bach Ma National Park for health recovery and re-release.
At the same time, the Center for Wildlife Rescue, Conservation and Development of Bach Ma National Park took over a keeled box turtle (Cuora mouhotii) from Nguyen Tuan in Thuy Bieu Ward. This male turtle weighs 700 grams. Its shell was scratched at five spots on the right side and the right forelimb was fairly weak. At the thought that this was a rare animal, Tuan informed Hue forest rangers about the turtle’s situation for timely rescue. This is a sensible response as the keeled box turtle (Cuora mouhotii) is an endangered rare species listed in the Red Book of the world.
According to the Head of Hue Forest Protection Division, Le Viet Ngoc Vinh, some species of wild animals in Hue are suspected of being hunted and sold to restaurants for food. Some species such as keeled box turtles (Cuora mouhotii) and impressed tortoises (Manouria impressa), must have drifted along streams and stranded into gardens of the locals. Fortunately, with the locals’ cooperation, most of the animals were discovered in time and successfully rescued to return to their habitat.
Dang Ngoc Quoc Hung, an officer at Bach Ma National Park, hopes that every citizen will become more aware of the protection of wildlife animals in addition to the efforts and responsibilities of the park rangers.
The Director of the provincial Department of Forest Protection, Nguyen Dai Anh Tuan, appreciated the great efforts of the park rangers at Bach Ma National Park in the rescues of the wildlife animals. Apart from the mentioned rescues of leopard cats, semi-aquatic lizards, a keeled box turtle in 2017, many impressed tortoises (Manouria impressa), handed in by Le Van Manh from Hue, and red-shanked doucs (Pygathrix nemaeus) were rescued and released into the habitat in Bach Ma National Park. These species are endangered listed in the Red Book of Vietnam and the world.
By HOANG TRIEU
Photo courtesy: Bach Ma National Park