Save Vietnam's Wildlife Newsletter

Dear Friends and Supporters, we are excited to bring you several pieces of good news this month: we launched the 'Feed the Pangolin' campaign, a documentary about SVW on television, we rescued more pangolins from the illegal wildlife trade, we have three new staff members, and more!

Exciting activities in 2018

It’s incredible that Save Vietnam’s Wildlife is three and half years old. For us it is extremely gratifying to see the many successes we have had in 2017. We made a highlights video of all our achievements that we would like to share with you.

We are very excited about our conservation plans in 2018:

1. Rescue Wildlife

  • Continue to rescue even more wildlife from the illegal wildlife trade (between 500-800 individuals) in Cuc Phuong and Pu Mat National Park.
  • Increase our veterinary capacity by building a brand new vet clinic.
  • We also have trips planned to give workshops and courses on pangolin care across the whole of South East Asia.

2. Protect sites in Pu Mat National Park (a stronghold for wildlife in Vietnam)

  • By setting up the first-ever mobile rangers unit, co-managed by SVW and the government. Here we will combat illegal poaching and help protect 948km2 of natural forests.
  • By interviewing about 1700 people including hunters, community-gate keepers and general local people around Pu Mat National Park to understand their needs and what motivate them to hunt wildlife.
  • By organizing 4 workshops for hunters to train their behaviour and inspire them about wildlife conservation as well as finding alternatives for support their lives.
  • By providing 4 workshops and working with over 200 district police, communities’ police, border-soldiers, and rangers around Pu Mat National Park to combat illegal local wildlife trade around Pu Mat National Park.

3. Conservation Research

  • To monitor the released pangolins with radio tracking.
  • To set up a systematic camera trapping network in Pu Mat National Park to monitor population changes over time as a collaboration with other organisations.
  • To build a data-base for pangolins and carnivores in Vietnam.

Education and Outreach

  • To host 5000 children for our Wildlife Education Program for schools, which hosts 25 children per day at our Education center.
  • To host 3 workshops for training the behaviours government officials dealing with combatting illegal wildlife trade.
  • To host the first international workshop on Owston's Civets: Planning a future for Owston’s Civet Chrotogale owstoni.
  • To raise awareness about wildlife conservation for thousands students and people via our campaigns.

5. Advocacy

  • We continue our advocacy work and support government in changing wildlife protection laws.
  • As well as our continued work on the National Action Plan for pangolin conservation in Vietnam.

Pangolin rescue in the South of Vietnam

Mid-January we received news of a large confiscation in Ca Mau, Southern Vietnam. A trader was caught with 114 live pangolins, stuffed together in 35 plastic bags. As soon as we heard the news, our veterinarians Huong and Hai and keeper Quyen travelled to the south by airplane, carrying a first aid kit and food for the animals. As expected, most of the animals were in a critical state and
unfortunately many of them had died by the time the team arrived. After a few days we received permission to take the animals with us and we took the pangolins on a two day drive back to the SVW rescue center in Cuc Phuong, where they have been monitored, fed and their injuries treated.

Join our 'Feed The Pangolins' campaign

In 2017, Save Vietnam’s Wildlife rescued 407 critically endangered pangolins from the illegal wildlife trade. We fed our pangolins 4331 kilograms of ant eggs and 1591 kilograms of silkworm larvae, with a total cost of 40500 US dollar. 

On February the 17th we celebrate World Pangolin Day and in light of this special day for pangolins, we ask all pangolin enthusiasts to show your love for pangolins by joining our ‘Feed the Pangolins’ campaign! By donating 10 US dollar, you buy one kilogram of ant eggs and help us to feed one pangolin for 4 days.

Together we can make a difference for the pangolins that are rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. Thank you for your ongoing support!

Donate Now!

Training for Custom officers

In January 2018, SVW was invited to provide a training for 120 custom officers from cross the countries. We trained the officers how to identify confiscated carnivores and pangolins from illegal trade, the best way of handling animals and provide information for best placement options for the confiscated animals. This training was organised by the Centre Institute for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, Vietnam Customs and USAID Governance for Inclusive Growth Program. Before that, SVW joined Wildlife Conservation Society - Vietnam to provide this training for nearly 30 police officers from Hanoi, which focuses on changing the way of seeing the wildlife value, the importance of protecting wildlife and ID the carnivores and pangolins. 

More species protected by Vietnamese law!

On January 24, the final meeting was held at the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to identify endangered, precious and rare species to be prioritized for protection by Vietnamese law. SVW submitted a proposal to include three new species: Owston's Palm Civet, Large-spotted Civet and Spotted Linsang. We are proud to announce that all three species will be added to the list of protected species by Decree 160.

Our work on television network ARTE

We are extremely proud to have our work shown in the documentary "360° Geo Reportage - Vietnam, die letzten Pangoline". The German version can be watched online here. Hopefully there will be a version with English subtitels soon, we will keep you updated!

The team: new members

Welcome Tan, Daniel and Thuc

Tan Van Nguyen is our new Field Research and has more than five years of researching and protecting wildlife. He has experience working with reptiles and amphibians, also published several science reports. 

Daniel Willcox has returned as our new Science adviser. His career began at the CPCP and has been working in wildlife conservation for over 10 years. Daniel brings with him a wealth of experience on survey and monitoring techniques for rare mammals, capacity building in South-east Asia, and organisational development.

Thuc Cong Dinh is our new Driver. While driving tourist buses from Vietnam to Laos, he witnessed many illegal wildlife trade and wished to do something to help. Thuc is the main driver for the educational program for children as well as animal rescue and release trips.

We are looking for new staff!

We have a professional volunteer position (min 6 months) available for an English Teacher at the rescue center in Pu Mat National Park.
More info here! Closing date: 9 March 2018

Thank you!

For reading our newsletter and for supporting us
on every single project, rescue or release.

See you next month!

Donate

Organisation Donors

Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust

Newquay Zoo

Welttierschutzgesellschaft e.V

Wildlife Conservation Network

Humane Society International

Nashville Zoo

Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund

Olsen Animal Trust

WildAid

US Fish and Wildlife Service

Alice C. Tyler Perpetual Trust

Vingroup



Croeni Foundation

Taronga Conservation Society Australia

Future For Nature

Synchronicity Earth

The Biodiversity Foundation

Riverbanks Zoo & Garden

Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative

OAK Foundation

The Zoological Society of London

Highlands Coffee

Singapore Zoological Garden

Individual Donors

Alex DeGray                         Alexander Yates

Alistair Leonard                   Alona Rivord

Andrew Wolstenholme      Anita Clemens

Anne Sanderson                 Anushka Johnpulle

Bo Kearns                            Bobby Phuong

Bridget Page                        Carol Cushing

Carrie Williams                    Charlotte Davis

Christi Saltonstall                Chrystin Pleasants

Coral Keegan                        Jonathan James

David Spedding                   Deborah Kramer

Derek Kunz                           Dots & Loops

Elisa Frei                                Elisabeth Key

Elizabeth Forde                    Emily Milder

Emma Green                        Erin Loury

Evelyn Baron                        Fanny Lincoln

Felix Schlieszus                    Geoffrey Legg

Georgette Taylor                  Grant Stewart

Gilbert Martin                       Gina Stannard

Gloria Plata                         Georgina Steadman

Helen Horsley                      Huan Ngo              

Isabel Hunter                        Janet Anderson

Jeff Kennedy                          Jeffrey Hall

Jillian Rutherford                  Jimmy Helgesson

Joan Ervine                          Johanna Broeksma

John Pilsworth                       

Cristian Alejandro Hurtado Romero



Joshua Curnow                Julie Curtis

Kacee Bui                         Kacey Martin

Kathleen Summers         Kevin Gwilliam

Kim Chi Ho                       Krystal Kyle

Laura Ealing                     Laura Edwards

Laura Hoegler                  Laura Ramsay

LeTran Bui                        Lien Vu

Lily Tran                           Linda Tabor-Beck

Loi Nguyen                      Louisa Jaskulski

Lucia Cervantes              Lucia Mujica

Madison Pruett               Marita Patterson

Melissa Stafford              Michael Scalzo

Milot Mirdita                    Nancy Kelly  

Naomi Doak                     Neil Lambalk

Paul White                       Pauline Buffing

Peter Kettle                      Phoebe Mills

Sara Webb                       Sarah Stanton-Nadin

Soren Holm                      Stefaan Derijst

Stefanie Leinwetter         Stephan Gale

Sue Mawson                     Susan Read

Thai Nguyen                     Thanhtam Bui

The Thomson Family      Tiun

Theodore Stankowich     Tracey Taylor

Vicki Puluso                       Victoria von Wachter

Yuliya Linhares                  Yvonne Bennett

Save Vietnam's Wildlife

Email: info@savevietnamswildlife.org

Phone: +84.303.848.053

Website: www.savevietnamswildlife.org