ENV’s Wildlife Crime Unit

In 2005, ENV established its Wildlife Crimes Unit (WCU), an innovative program designed to reduce the public consumption of wildlife, support the efforts of enforcement agencies in dealing with wildlife crimes and most importantly, to encourage public participation in efforts to stop the wildlife trade.

» more about ENV's Wildlife Crime Unit       » visit the ENV Website

Hot News

June 2010

Ranger Bear Story Book Press Release
June 30, 2010 - Education for Nature – Vietnam (ENV) released a new comic book featuring the full color series of Ranger Bear comic strips that have appeared in the last 14 issues of the popular student nature magazine, Green Forest.
Read more information here

April 2010

New ID guide and film to strengthen enforcement and combat tortoise and freshwater turtle trade in Vietnam
Education for Nature – Vietnam (ENV) has released a new set of resources intended to strengthen efforts by frontline law enforcement officers to combat illegal trade of tortoises and freshwater turtles.
Read more information here

Macaques transferred to rescue center in Quang Binh (April 7, 2010)
Quang Binh Environmental Police encouraged four different residences to voluntarily turn over macaques that were being kept as pets to the Phong Nha Ke Bang Rescue Center.  A total of nine macaques were transferred to the center.

Three Bears Confiscated along route to Chinese Border (April 3, 2010)
Police in Quang Ninh province confiscated three Asiatic black bears from a vehicle destined for the border town of Mong Cai.  The bears reportedly originated from one of the bear farms situated in Ha Long Bay city and a farm in former Ha Tay province west of Hanoi.

March 2010

Lorises seized at pagoda (March 31, 2010)
Three lorises were confiscated by Environmental Police in Hanoi after they were observed on display at a popular pagoda in the city.  The lorises were transferred to the Soc Son Rescue Center outside of Hanoi.

Trophy tigers seized in Ninh Binh (March 22, 2010)
Ninh Binh rangers confiscated two stuffed tigers from a hotel after receiving information about the animals being displayed through the ENV Wildlife Crime Hotline.  The case was initially reported to ENV by a foreign visitor.

Ivory seized in Quang Ninh (March 20, 2010)
Quang Ninh police discovered approximately 150kg of ivory pieces hidden in a vehicle heading for the northern border crossing at Mong Cai into China.  The ivory reportedly was being transported from Nghe An province in north central Vietnam, but most likely originated from Africa.

Pangolins Confiscated at Airport (March 20, 2010)
Airport security personnel in Ho Chi Minh discovered 33 pangolins hidden in crates beneath soft-shell turtles that were to be loaded on a domestic flight to Hanoi.  The suspect stated that the pangolins originated from Cambodia and were ultimately destined for China.  It is customary for illegal wildlife to be offloaded in Hanoi and moved by ground transport across the northern border into China.  A total of 31 surviving pangolins were transferred to the Cu Chi Rescue Center in Ho Chi Minh.

Tiger seized at Lao border crossing (March 7, 2010)
On March 7, Border guards in Quang Tri province stopped a vehicle passing through the Lao Bao Border Gate from Laos and confiscated a 95kg dead tiger and 27kg dead black leopard.  Also confiscated were more than one ton of unidentified bones.  The shipment was reportedly headed for Quang Binh province. 

February 2010

Red-shanked douc langur confiscated in Hanoi (February 8, 2010)
A red-shanked douc langur was confiscated by from an establishment in Hanoi after a member of the ENV Wildlife Volunteer Network called the hotline.  ENV coordinated an immediate response resulting in confiscation of the langur, which was later transferred to a rescue center.

The Wildlife Crime Unit has had a string of successes urging shop owners and website administrators to remove signboards and advertisements for bear bile and other wildlife.  In the last week before Tet, our D1 Minor Crimes Officer, Hong Tham succeeded in having signs advertising bear bile from seven establishments, as well as several advertisements on websites.

A marine turtle that was being kept at a restaurant in Da Nang was confiscated and released by Da Nang rangers January 21.  The marine turtle was first reported to ENV by a local volunteer.

Three gibbons rescued from a kindergarten (February 1, 2010)
Three yellow-cheeked gibbons (Hylobates gabriellae) at a kindergarten in Vung Tau Province were turned over to Dao Tien Primate Rescue Center (Cat Tien National Park) at the end of January. ENV’s staff received the information about these animals from a six-year old girl who joined ENV’s painting activities in a bear exhibit. After a series of discussions with ENV’s staff, Vung Tau protection authorities (FPD) and experts from the Dao Tien Primate Rescue Center, the kindergarten agreed to voluntarily transferred the three yellow-cheeked gibbons to Dao Tien Primate Rescue Center.

January 2010

Da Nang confiscates turtles from home of trader (January 20, 2010)
A case involving a live marine turtle and at least 25 other freshwater turtle species, including three critically endangered (and endemic) Vietnamese pond turtles (Mauremys annamensis) was finally resolved after wildlife Da Nang protection authorities (FPD) confiscated the turtles from the resident’s house who had been pushing the authorities to issue him permits and allow him to keep the turtles for “conservation purposes”. To add complexity to the situation, the man reportedly headed Da Nang’s Environment Department.  The case was first reported to ENV January 15 by a member of the Asian Turtle Program field team.  The marine turtle was subsequently released back into the ocean and the freshwater turtles were released in a local river.  The case was handled by Central VN Crimes Officer Minh Tham.

Two otters rescued after being offered for sale on internet (15 January 2010)
Environmental Police (EP) in Ho Chi Minh City confiscated two oriental small-clawed otters after the animals were offered for sale on the internet.  The ENV Wildlife Crime Unit was first alerted by staff of the Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Program.  ENV’s Major Crimes Officer, posing as a buyer and obtained critical information about the name and location of the subject before passing along the information to police.  The police secured a search warrant and inspected the private home, arresting the owner and confiscating the otters.  Both otters were transferred to Cu Chi Rescue Center. 

Five bear bile signs removed in Hanoi (January 15, 2010)
Owners of five business establishments agreed to remove advertising offering bear bile after discussions with Wildlife Crime Unit staff urging them to comply with wildlife protection laws. 

96 macaques find home (January 15, 2010)
Ninety-six macaques that were confiscated by police in Phu Yen were transferred to the Soc Son Rescue Center after a two week ordeal that started with their sale by authorities to a wildlife farmer. Media attention forced the province to reverse its decision and efforts by ENV turned toward finding a suitable home for... the animals. Last week, Soc Son Rescue Center (in Hanoi) stepped up and agreed to receive the macaques.

Yellow-headed temple turtles transferred to rescue center (January 14, 2010)
Twelve yellow-headed temple turtles (Heosemys annandalii) were transferred to the Cu Chi Rescue Center in Ho Chi Minh after a Binh Duong resident contacted the ENV hotline wishing to give up the turtles.  ENV coordinated the transfer with relevant local authorities and confirmed arrival of the 12 at the rescue center turtles on January 14.  The temple turtle is protected under Vietnamese Decree 32 Group 2B, and is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Lai Chau macaques rescued (January 8, 2010)
Six macaques that were confiscated by Lai Chau FPD following a tip from the public were transferred to Soc Son Rescue Center Friday morning (January 8). All of the macaques were missing hands or fingers. ENV sent a field officer to Lai Chau to receive the animals and transported them by... train to Hanoi where they were picked up by staff of the rescue center.

December 2009

Dong Nai Gibbons Safe and Sound (December 25, 2009)
Four yellow-cheeked gibbons and three peafowl were transferred safely over to authorities at Cat Tien National Park after the owner was convinced by authorities to voluntarily hand over the animals.  The case was first reported in August 2009 to ENV by a volunteer, and the transfer followed many months of efforts by ENV case officers Tham and Linh, who sought to have the animals confiscated in accordance with the law.  Both gibbons and peafowl are listed as full protected under Decree 32, Vietnam’s principle wildlife protection law.  The success followed a another case  only a week before during which two more gibbons were turned over by a restaurant owner to authorities. 

Quang Nam Bust Nets Turtles and More (December 10, 2009)
Forest Rangers and Police raided two homes in Quang Nam province confiscated more than a ton of wildlife including 87 live turtles, snakes, meat, and wildlife products.  The turtles comprised of eight species including the endemic Bourret’s box turtle, Cuora bourretti. 

November 2009

Quang Ninh Bear Businessmen Still At It (November 7, 2009)
At least some businessmen operating bear bile tourist operations in Quang Ninh province appear unconcerned by the recent police raid on October 2 of one of the major farming operations during which bear bile products were confiscated and the owner and staff, as well as a handful of Korean tourists were questioned by police.  Police are calling for the confiscation of at least 24 bears being held at the farm, but despite this, bear tourism operations continue according to informants working in the area.
An ENV surveillance team shot this footage on November 7 showing business as usual at one of the big bear tourism operations http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLOrQBuTV0A

ENV Wildlife Crime Bulletin November 2009
ENV’s Wildlife Crime Bulletin provides information, recommendations and analysis of efforts to combat wildlife crime in Vietnam and is distributed to enforcement agencies throughout the country. The feature story in this edition looks at the illegal exploitation of Ha Long Bay bears and how this impacts upon Ha Long’s image as a world tourist destination. The Bulletin also explores the blurry line between tiger conservation and trade. As in previous editions, the wildlife crime log section summarizes cases of interest, highlights successfully handled cases, and shows just how important public participation is in combating wildlife crime.

October 2009

Store removes signboards (October 30, 2009)
A store in Ho Chi Minh City removed a signboard advertising bear bile after ENV discussed the matter with the store owner. The owner agreed to remove the sign and subsequent checks by ENV’ monitoring teams confirmed that the sign had been removed.

Korean Bear Bile Tourism Story Breaks in Korea (October 29, 2009)
A news article appeared in the Korean Joong Ang Daily, highlighting the Vietnamese call for Koreans not to travel to bear bile farms in Vietnam and buy bile extracted from moon bears raised in cages. The problem is that many of these Korean travelers are unaware that such activities are illegal in Vietnam. Below is a link to the story.

http://envietnam.org/library/Articles%20for%20news%20media%20section/Vietnamese_urge_Koreans_not_to_travel_for_bear_bile.html

Website advertisement removed (October 29, 2009)
A popular internet forum agreed to remove links advertising the sale of turtles following discussions with ENV and the website administrator. The crime was discovered by a member of ENV’s wildlife protection volunteer network.

Two Tigers Seized in Hanoi (October 16, 2009)
On October16, Hanoi Environmental Police made another important tiger bust, seizing two frozen tigers (129kg total) from a taxi and arresting four suspects. The tigers were reportedly being transported to from Thanh Hoa province where suspects claimed they were purchased from a well-known tiger supplier. 

See the VTV News story (in Vietnamese):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axwXgOW5g-w

Petrol Station Bear Confiscated (October 16, 2009)
A Malayan sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), was confiscated from a petrol station in the southern province of Hau Giang after many months of efforts by ENV’s Major Crimes Officer, Nguyen Ngoc Diep and countless correspondence and discussions with authorities aimed at getting the unregistered and illegal bear turned over to authorities. The case marks another positive example of a provincial government acting decisively in their dealing with illegal bears that are found. 

The Hau Giang bear was transferred to Wildlife at Risk’s Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Center in Ho Chi Minh. The case was first reported to ENV by a foreign advisor to Wildlife at Risk.

Keeled box turtle rescued (October 9, 2009)
A Hanoi resident turned over a keeled box turtle (Cuora mouhotii) that was advertised for sale on the internet after being contacted by ENV’s Wildlife Crime Unit.  The turtle was later transferred to the Turtle Conservation Center (TCC) at Cuc Phuong National Park. The incident was first reported to ENV by a member of ENV’s Wildlife Volunteer Network.

TV News:  Quang Ninh Environmental Police Raid Viet Thai Bear Farm (October 2, 2009)
On 2nd Oct 2009, Quang Ninh EP raid a bear farm at Ha Long. Bear farm owner and a Korean tourist group was caught red-handed extracting bile from a bear and selling-buying bear bile.  This is the link to one of the VTV News segments (in Vietnamese): 

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=app_2373072738&gid=47162312016#/group.php?v=wall&gid=47162312016

Quang Ninh Police Raid Bear Farm (October 2, 2009)
After many months of campaigning to end bear bile tourism in Quang Ninh province, Environmental Police raided one of the six main farms and caught bear tourism operators in the act of extracting bile for a group of Korean tourists.  Although the tourists were detained only long enough to copy their passports, police confiscated bear bile extraction equipment and an unknown quantity of bear bile. 

This is a major step forward in efforts to put an end to illegal bear tourism activities that have been underway for some time, and have operated with little regard for the law just a few kilometers down the road from Vietnam’s premier World Heritage Site, Ha Long Bay. 

September 2009

More lorises and macaques rescued (September 18, 2009)
Two lorises were turned in this week by a resident in Ho Chi Minh City and a third by a man in Hai Phong following calls to the ENV hotline by owners that wished to give up the animals. The lorises in Ho Chi Minh were turned over to Forest Rangers and transferred to the Cu Chi Rescue Center while ENV staff went to Hai Phong to retrieve the loris, along with a macaque from another case reported to the hotline that was being kept at a local kindergarten. 

August 2009

Bear bile advertisement removed from website
On August 25th, 2009 a bear bile advertisement on a popular website was removed after discussions with the website administrators. More importantly, the administrators agreed to ban any future wildlife advertising on their websites. The violations were initially reported by a member of ENV’s growing national wildlife protection volunteer network.   

Help us combat internet wildlife crimes. Report internet advertisements for wildlife sourced or for sale in Vietnam to our hotline 1-800-1522 or email us at hotline@fpt.vn.

Turtle shells and pangolin scales seized in Hai Phong (August 22, 2009)
Only a day after a two ton seizure of elephant tusks at the port of Hai Phong, customs officers discovered another major wildlife shipment arriving from Surabaya in Western Java, Indonesia. In this second shipment involving two containers, officers found approximately two tons of pangolin scales hidden amongst a 16 ton shipment of seaweed and in the second container, 124 bags of turtle shells hidden amongst a shipment of “fish stomachs”. 

Customs is cooperating with Indonesian authorities on the case and the ENV Wildlife Crime Unit continues to follow developments closely.

Two tons of ivory discovered in container at Hai Phong port
On August 21, customs officers in Hai Phong discovered two tons of ivory hidden in a container that arrived aboard a ship from Tanzania during a routine inspection. Nearly 800 pieces of ivory tusk were discovered amongst a 16 ton shipment of snail shells. 

The seizure is the third major haul this year of ivory coming into Vietnam. In March, six tons of ivory was discovered in a container offloaded from another ship from Tanzania. In late July, 200kg of elephant tusks were found in a container that reportedly originated in Kenya. Another 200kg were confiscated in mid-August from a vehicle in Thanh Hoa province. The Hai Phong seizure was the eighth major seizure of elephant tusks in Vietnam since 2006, bringing the total of seized ivory to about 8,700kg, based on cases documented in ENV’s wildlife crime database. 

What are we doing about it? 
ENV’s efforts focus on connecting law enforcement agencies across borders and nurturing cooperation in dealing with major international cases, such as in the case of these ivory seizures.  ENV works to assist Vietnamese counterparts in communicating with law enforcement agencies in Tanzania and other African countries, ensuring that information is passed between parties in a timely manner, allowing investigators in Tanzania to detect those responsible for the trade. Timely efforts by Vietnamese authorities to pass information to Tanzanian counterparts following the March 2009 seizure resulted in the arrest of a number of suspects in Tanzania.

Bear confiscation in Can Tho
On August 21, an Asiatic black bear being kept at a tourism site illegally was confiscated and transferred to the Cu Chi Rescue Center. The bear was discovered by authorities as they were following up on another case involving macaques.  The bear was unregistered, and following the excellent example of Dien Bien and Yen Bai provinces, the Can Tho People’s Committee ordered the bear and other wildlife at the resort to be confiscated in accordance with the law. 

Wildlife meat seized from a restaurant in Thanh Hoa
On August 19th, 2009 the Thach Thanh District FPD of Thanh Hoa province inspected a food stall and seized 1.5kg of common barking deer meat. The case was successful thanks to the efforts of the local people who had reported the violation to the ENV hotline.

Hanoi student voluntarily turns over endangered turtle
On August 19th, 2009 a keeled box turtle (Cuora mouhotii) was voluntarily turned over to ENV by a student of the Foreign Trade University, who bought the turtle during a trip to Ha Long Bay. The turtle was later transferred by ENV to the Turtle Conservation Center at Cuc Phuong National Park.

Turtles Seized in Ho Chi Minh (August 17, 2009)
In mid-August, Ho Chi Minh rangers confiscated 32 Malayan snail-eating turtles (Malayemys subtrijuga) from the front of a resident’s home after the turtles were observed by ENV monitors conducting a survey in the city (Case 1922). 

Monitoring of bear farm in Yen Bai turns up illegal resident bear
A bear discovered on July 1 by forest rangers while monitoring a bear farm in Yen Bai province was confiscated after it was determined that the bear was unregistered (Case 1891). This was the result of a pilot bear farm monitoring program in the province being carried out by FPD in cooperation with WSPA, aimed at developing an effective and standardized approach to monitoring some 4,000 bears currently registered in captivity at bear farms in Vietnam. 

ENV worked closely with the Yen Bai government and other relevant government partners to ensure that the bear was confiscated. 

Macaques and more macaques
On August 5, Vinh Long forest rangers confiscated two macaques from the front of a shop that were first reported to ENV in March.

On August 7, a local owner of tourist establishment in Da Nang City voluntarily handed over a macaque to authorities following inspection by forest rangers responding to a case reported through the ENV hotline. The macaque was later released (Case 1934).

On August 10, two more macaques were confiscated by Quang Nam FPD from a café after a foreigner reported the animals to ENV through the Wildlife Crime Hotline. The macaques were later released in a local forest (Case 1918). 

Loris turned over to ENV
On August 6, a Hanoi resident turned over a loris that she reportedly found in her garden. The loris was transferred to the Endangered Primate Rescue Center at Cuc Phuong National Park (Case 1941). 

Bear bile sign removal: Voluntary action shows that discussions work to resolve minor crimes
A Hanoi resident has removed a sign in front of his home advertising bear bile after being advised by the ENV Wildlife Crime Unit that selling bear bile was illegal. ENV routinely handles minor crimes through discussions directly with the subject of the case, urging the individual to follow the law, and advising him or her that their establishment was subject to regular monitoring. In this instance, the sign was first reported to ENV by a volunteer from ENV’s growing wildlife volunteer network. Subsequent monitoring indicated that the sign was no longer there.

July 2009

Bac Ha Lorises Rescued (July 10, 2009)
Three lorises were rescued from the Bac Ha market in Lao Cai province following a report to ENV’s Wildlife Crime Hotline. Bac Ha district FD responded quickly, seizing the animals in two separate incidents.  An ENV staff member then went to Lao Cai to receive the animals, which were subsequently turned over to a rescue center.  Bac Ha market is a popular tourist destination in the province and the site of numerous previous cases involving lorises, leopard cats, and other wildlife.

Fashion Designer Project Aims to Protect Wildlife (July 10, 2009)
ENV has teamed up with Hanoi fashion retailers, Boo Skate Shops and the London Center for Fashion Studies to help protect Vietnam’s wildlife.  Student designers were encouraged to come up with wildlife protection-themed designs on t-shirts, the best of which would be produced and made available to the public through Boo Skate Shops and online http://www.booskateshop.com/env.html

June 2009

Macaques transferred to Pu Mat National Park (June 22, 2009)
Another macaque was transferred to the rescue center at Pu Mat National Park following a prolonged negotiation with Nghe An authorities as ENV sought to have the animal confiscated and transferred to a rescue center at the park.  After nearly two months of discussion following an initial report to ENV through the hotline, the macaque is hopefully happier and better off at the park.

The Korean bear tourism issue heats up (June 3, 2009)
Korean tourists are still visiting bear farms in Quang Ninh according to the the results of surveillance in May. A total of 24 buses visited four farms over a three day period accounting for some 400 tourists, most of which were Korean nationals. The tourists witness bile extraction and taste bear bile wine before being offered to buy bear products. The selling and consumption of bear bile and products is illegal under Vietnamese law. Some of the tourists then smuggle the bear bile and bear products out of the country when they return to Korea in violation of CITES regulations.

Last weekend, a prominent National Assembly member visited four of the Quang Ninh bear farms along with ENV investigators, Environmental Police, and VTV1. A news segment aired on the issue, questioning the presence of illegal bear farms operating just down the road from Vietnam's premier World Heritage Site, Ha Long Bay. More to follow...

Macaques turned over to authorities (June 3, 2009)
A macaque being kept at a resort in Bac Ninh and three more macaques at a restaurant in Da Nang were turned over to forest rangers after the cases were initially reported to the Wildlife Crime Hotline by a foreign worker. 

May 2009

Loris rescued (May 28, 2009)
A Hanoi man turned in a loris to ENV that he said that he bought in Hoa Binh province as a pet but decided he no longer wished to keep the animal.  The loris was later transferred to the Endangered Primate Rescue Center at Cuc Phuong National Park.

Nghe An shops voluntarily remove signboards (May 25, 2009)
Five shops in Nghe An province voluntarily removed signboards advertising bear bile after discussions with shop owners. Owners agreed to remove the signs and subsequent checks by ENV monitors and volunteers from the Wildlife Volunteer Network indicated that the signs had in fact been removed as promised.

Another major success for gibbons (May 8, 2009)
Authorities in the south province of Tien Giang confiscated two white-cheeked gibbons, two macaques and a python from a resort in Chau Thanh District where the animals were being illegally kept and displayed for tourists.  All the animals were saved thanks to a foreigner tourist reporting the crimes to the ENV Wildlife Crime Hotline.  The gibbons now are placed at Cu Chi Rescue Center in Ho Chi Minh City.  The macaques and python were transferred to and released at Dong Thap Muoi Nature Reserve in Tien Giang. 

Bear cub rescued (May 5, 2009)
Thanks to a tip off directly to the Dien Bien Forest Protection Department, an Asiatic black bear cub was confiscated from a local resident and transferred to the Animals Asia bear rescue center at Tam Dao National Park.  This was the second time that Dien Bien rangers have gone and confiscated a bear from private hands during the last year, setting an example for other provinces to follow.

March 2009

Leopard cats seized in Hanoi (Late March)
ENV monitors discovered three leopard cats for sale during a routine inspection of business establishments in Hanoi.  Environmental Police quickly responded confiscating the leopard cats and transferring them to Soc Son Rescue Center.

Wildlife seized at Karaoke bar
Da Nang authorities seized five macaques and two green peafowl from a restaurant after a concerned citizen reported the animals to the ENV holtine.  All of the animals were reportedly released at a local nature reserve.

Sun bear seized in central Vietnam
Kon Tum Environmental Police for Forest Rangers confiscated a Malayan sun bear from a man that had reportedly purchased the bear in Laos.  At the request of local authorities, ENV is working with Free The Bears to receive the animal at Cat Tien where facilities have been set up to receive sun bears.

Macaque now free
A troubled macaque that had been kept on a chain outside a Da Nang café for months is free again after authorities finally confiscated and released the animal at Son Tra Nature Reserve.  The macaque was first reported to ENV by a foreigner working in Vietnam.

Bear bone products removed
A traditional medicine shop in Hanoi has stopped selling bear bile and medicinal products made from bear and macaque bones and other wildlife after ENV monitors worked with Hanoi rangers to encourage the owner to comply with the law.  Subsequent inspections indicated that products were no longer displayed and advertising was removed.

Leopard cat kittens rescued (March 2009)
Three leopard cats were rescued from a home in Vinh Phuc province after an ENV investigation on another case led to the discovery of the kittens. FPD confiscated the animals and ENV arranged the transfer of the leopard cats to the Small Carnivore Conservation Center at Cuc Phuong National Park.

Gibbons and wildlife confiscated from Lam Dong resort (March 2009)
Three gibbons, 5 stump-tailed macaques, 6 pig-tailed macaques, a great hornbill, and two serpent eagles were confiscated from a resort in Lam Dong province after the animals were reported to ENV through the hotline.  ENV was initially concerned that the provincial government would allow the resort owner to keep the animals, however after ENV coordinated options for placement of the gibbons and other animals at Cat Tien National Park, the authorities agreed, and were subsequently confiscated.

Macaque confiscated from Iron shop in Hanoi (March 2009)
Hanoi FPD confiscated a macaque that was being kept at an iron shop in Hanoi and transferred the animal to Soc Son Rescue Center. The macaque was reported through the ENV hotline by a Hanoi resident.

Mongoose shipment halted (March 2009)
Hanoi Environmental Police and forest protection officers confiscated 130 mongoose from a vehicle on March 3rd. The mongoose were transferred to Soc Son Rescue Center.

Loris turned in to ENV (March 2009)
On March 10, a loris was turned over to ENV by a Hanoi resident that had purchased it in Hoa Binh. ENV transferred the loris to the Primate Rescue Center at Cuc Phuong.

Elephant Tusks Seized (March 5, 2009)
Customs authorities in Hai Phong seized more than six tons of elephant tusks from a container that was off-loaded from a Malaysian-registered cargo ship. The shipment is believed to have come from Tanzania, and Customs authorities are working with ENV to transfer critical information about the case to government counterparts in Tanzania, as well as to Interpol. ENV is doing this with intermediary law enforcement-focused NGOs as part of a new focus on cooperation across borders to strengthen enforcement on wildlife crime. We’ll keep you posted on the investigation.

Regional NGOs unite against wildlife crime
Sixteen Asian representatives from Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) in nine Asian countries met last week in Hanoi with the aim of increasing regional cooperation to combat the illegal trade of wildlife. The meeting participants shared experiences about their efforts to combat wildlife crime and discussed practical ways they can cooperate and communicate to assist their governments in dealing with trans-border wildlife crime.

February 2009

Macaques at gas station confiscated (February 24, 2009)
Hanoi forest rangers confiscated two pig-tailed macaques and one long-tailed macaque from a gas station in Hanoi after an unidentified man reported to ENV that the animals were being kept illegally at the station.  The macaques were transferred to Soc Son Rescue Center.

Macaque rescued from restaurant in Lang Son (February 23, 2009)
A macaque that was observed in the backyard of a wildlife restaurant is in good hands tonight after Lang Son rangers confiscated the animal. The case was reported to ENV by a local resident who observed a civet being slaughtered in the kitchen and the macaque caged behind the restaurant. The macaque was rescued thanks to decisive action taken by Lang Son FPD. The animal will be transferred to Soc Son Rescue Center.

Tiger parts confiscated on streets of Hanoi (February 18, 2009)
Hanoi Environmental Police in cooperation with the Forest Protection Department of Hanoi confiscated the head and body parts of a tiger from a vehicle.  It is the second tiger seizure in Hanoi since the first of the year. 

Serpent Eagle Needs Help (February 12, 2009)
A serpent eagle being  kept at a resort in the popular tourist destination of Mui Ne needs help.  Link to ENV’s Facebook and see a photo of the creature twisted and tied in a cage behind a small business

Loris turned in by Ho Chi Minh Resident (February 6, 2009)
Wildlife Crime staff of ENV encouraged a Ho Chi Minh resident to turn in a loris this week after the resident contacted the hotline as reported that he had found the animal.  The loris was subsequently transferred by Forest Rangers to the Wildlife Cu Chi Rescue Center. 

Two macaques rescued from household (February 5, 2009)
Thanks to the efforts of a wildlife protection volunteer in Quang Binh province, two macaques that were being kept by a local resident were turned over to the Phong Nha-Ke Bang Rescue Center. 

January 2009

Owner turns in unwanted macaque (January 12, 2009)
ENV helped coordinate the transfer to Soc Son Rescue Center of a macaque from a Hanoi resident who had been keeping a macaque for several years. 

Leopard cat confiscated in Mo Market (January 7, 2009)
Hanoi Environmental Police confiscated a leopard cat from a market after a Hanoi resident reported the cat to the ENV Wildlife Crime Hotline.  The cat was transferred to Soc Son Rescue Center.

Critically endangered turtles rescued from trade (January 6, 2009) Environmental Police and Forest Rangers in Quang Ngai province raided a trader’s home and confiscated 19 turtles including eight individuals of two critically endangered species (Mauremys annamensis and Cuora bourreti). The turtles were transferred to the Turtle Conservation Center at Cuc Phuong National Park.

Bone Bust in Hanoi Yields Tigers, Bears and Lots of Bones (January 6, 2009)
Environmental Police uncovered a major traditional medicine processing operation in Hanoi after stopping a motorbike  carrying tiger and serow bones on a busy Hanoi street.  The motorbike driver led police to a house where about 2 tons of animal bones were discovered, along with bear bladders, frozen bear paws, tiger skins, and other parts

Foreign visitor turns over loris (January 5, 2009)
A loris was voluntarily turned over to ENV by a foreign visitor who had been keeping the animal as a pet.  The loris was later transferred to the Endangered Primate Rescue Center at Cuc Phuong National Park. 

Bear bile signs removed (January 1, 2009)
One way to reduce illegal trade is to make it harder for people to advertise and sell illegal products.  Bear bile is an illegal product of particular concern to ENV because its sale is widespread and bears are fully protected under law.  Most cases reported to ENV involve signs advertising bear bile in front of business establishments, on websites, and in newspapers.
ENV Wildlife Crime statistics show that there were 64 cases involving illegal advertising of bear bile reported to ENV in 2007.  Efforts to address these cases has resulted in 45 successful outcomes (70%) where advertising was removed with confirmation by volunteers and monitoring officers. 
In 2008, a total of 42 cases were reported to ENV with advertisements removed in 18 cases (42%).  Note:  2008 statistics remain open because monitoring is incomplete. 

December 2008

ENV Wildlife Crime Bulletin
This edition of ENV”s Wildlife Crime Bulletin provides information and analysis of efforts to combat wildlife crime in Vietnam over the period of July to December 2008. It is distributed to enforcement agencies throughout Vietnam. The feature story in this edition examines the issue of auctioning off wildlife and the effects of this practice on the wildlife trade. As usual our case log section provides an account of many of the cases for which the ENV Wildlife Crime Unit has tracked over the period including cases in which public participation has played a critical role.

Voluntary action protects wildlife (December 2008)
A shop owner that was advertising bear bile agreed to remove a signboard and stop selling bear bile after the case was reported to the hotline by an international visitor.  Subsequent monitoring indicated that the signboard had been removed.

Nearly 5 Tons of Pangolins Seized at Port (December 19, 2008)
Cai Lan custom in Quang Ninh province seized 4,740 kg of frozen pangolins and 885 kg of pangolin scale that originated in Indonesia and were heading for China. ENV is assisting Customs authorities in transferring relevant paperwork to Indonesian authorities that will potentially help them identify and capture the supplier.   

Elephant ivory smuggling case uncovered (December 16, 2008)
Quang Ninh traffic police discovered 14 pairs of elephant tusks in a public bus that was heading to the Mong Cai border gate with China.

Golden Cat Saved from Trip to Border (December 15, 2008)
Quang Ninh traffic police stopped a bus heading for the Chinese border and confiscated an Asian Golden Cat.The golden cat was transferred to Soc Son Rescue Center in Hanoi.

Pangolins confiscated in Ha Tinh (December 8, 2008)
In December, Economic Police in Ha Tinh confiscated 63 pangolins from a car heading for the north. The occupants of the vehicle reportedly escaped.  In a separate case in December, Duc Tho District FPD working with police confiscated five pangolins from a public bus. Three live pangolins (two were dead at the time of the seizure) were transferred to the Small Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Program at Cuc Phuong National Park.

November 2008

Pleiku rangers raid restaurant and confiscate civets (November 30, 2008)
Forest Rangers, following up on information provided to ENV by staff of WCS inspected a restaurant and confiscated seven live civets.The civets were subsequently released back into a forested area in the province.

World's Rarest Turtle Rescued (November 26, 2008)
ENV negotiators worked closely with police and forest rangers for nearly a day to secure the release of a 70 kg soft-shell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) that had been captured by fishermen.The giant soft-shell is the last example of this species known in the wild, and has been living in a lake west of Hanoi until a flood washed the turtle downstream out of the lake leading to its capture. After a tense day of negotiations amidst and unruly crowd of onlookers, the turtle was released by rangers back into the lake where it has lived most of its life.

October 2008

Hotline caller rescues macaque (October 22, 2008)
Authorities in Ho Chi Minh city confiscated a macaque being kept at a private home after a citizen observed the animal and called the Wildlife Crime Hotline. Forest rangers say the macaque will soon be released back into the wild.

Loris confiscated from home in Hanoi (October 20, 2008)
A loris was confiscated after it was reported to ENV during a training exercise involving wildlife protection officers from the new Forest Crime Task Force. 

Gaur hunters arrested in Lam Dong (October 14, 2008)
Forest Rangers in the southern province of Lam Dong arrested four hunters after they slaughtered a gaur in the border area of Bidoup-Nui Ba National Park. 

Local resident turns in gibbon to authorities (October 14, 2008)
After 13 years of captivity, a local resident voluntarily turned over a yellow-cheeked gibbon to authorities.  The gibbon will be transferred to a rescue center at Cat Tien National Park. 

Khanh Hoa macaques released (October 14, 2008)
Two macaques kept at a guest house were confiscated by wildlife protection officers in Khanh Hoa province after ENV received a tip from a foreign visitor. 

Ha Tinh langur turned in by resident (October 13, 2008)
A local resident contacted the ENV hotline to request assistance in transferring a Ha Tinh langur that he had bought from a local hunter in Quang Binh province. The langur was later transferred to a resuce center. 

Bear confiscated in Dien Bien (October 10, 2008)
A Malayan sun bear was confiscated from a local resident in Dien Bien province after a neighbor saw an ENV public service announcement urging people to get involved in stopping the trade of bears and contacted local authorities.  The bear was later transferred to the Tam Dao Bear Rescue Center.

September 2008

Snake wine confiscated from restaurants in Vinh (September 26, 2008)
Nghe An rangers confiscated wine jars full of snakes from two restaurants after volunteers from the Wildlife Volunteer Network discovered the illegal snake wine during regular monitoring.  Warnings were issued to both restaurant owners.

Hotline call results in bear rescue and fine (September 17, 2008)
One bear and a macaque were confiscated by Environmental Police from a Hanoi resident and the owner was fined almost $2,000 USD after a resident contacted the ENV hotline and reported the illegal animals being held on the grounds of a company.

Snake trader in Ninh Binh nabbed (September 15, 2008)
Following a tip through the ENV Wildlife Crime Hotline, Ninh Binh rangers raided a house in Kim Son district and confiscated 5.5 kg of snakes. 

Squirrel confiscated from shop in Hanoi (September 15, 2008)
Rangers in Hanoi confiscated a squirrel being kept outside a shop on Tran Hung Dao street following a call to the ENV hotline from a Hanoi resident.  The squirrel was transferred to Soc Son Rescue Center.

Macaques set free in An Giang province (September 14, 2008)
Rangers in An Giang released two macaques back into nature following confiscation from a local army unit.  The macaques were initially reported to ENV by a foreign tourist.

Sun bear confiscated from home (September 12, 2008)
Dien Bien rangers confiscated a Malayan sun bear from a resident’s home after receiving a tip from the public.  The bear was transferred to the Tam Dao Bear Rescue facility operated by AAF.

One ton shipment confiscated in An Giang (September 4, 2008)
An Giang police and rangers confiscated more than one ton of snakes, monitors, and soft-shell turtles from a shipment originating in Cambodia. 

August 2008

Hoa Binh restaurant to stop advertising bear bile (August 31, 2008)
A restaurant in Hoa Binh will no longer offer bear bile, following receipt of a warning notice from ENV advising the owner that he was in violation of the law, and warning that his restaurant was targeted for regular monitoring and inspection. 

Hanoi restaurant owner removes wine (August 31, 2008)
A Hanoi restaurant owner agreed to stop selling bear paw and pangolin wine after receiving a warning letter ENV.  Monitoring will be conducted to ensure compliance.

44 Bear Paws Confiscated (August 29, 2008)
Hanoi police confiscated 44 bear paws from two men on a motorcycle.  The men face criminal prosecution and attempted bribery charges.

Lam Dong restaurant agrees to remove sign (Log August 15, 2008)
A Lam Dong restaurant owner removed a sign offering bear bile after discussions with ENV case officers advising the owner that advertising the sale of protect species is illegal.  Volunteers in Lam Dong will ensure that the owner follows through with her commitment.

Thua Thien Hue restaurant owner volunteers to remove menu offering wildlife (August 15, 2008)
A restaurant owner voluntarily removed a menu advertising civet and porcupine dishes after discussions with an ENV case officer.

Hoa Binh restaurant warned (August 4, 2008)
In August, a Hoa Binh restaurant was inspected by rangers after ENV monitors discovered that the owner was serving wildlife to customers.  Rangers discovered and confiscated a monitor lizard and fined the owner.

July 2008

Guest house is no place for macaque (Case log July 30, 2008)
Following a report by a foreign tourist to the ENV Hotline, wildlife officers in Thua Thien Hue province confiscated a macaque from a guest house where the animal had been displayed.  The macaque was released in July at a Nature Reserve.

Macaques rescued from Da Nang Restaurant (July 30, 2008)
Da Nang rangers and Environmental Police confiscated macaques from two different restaurants in Da Nang city after ENV Wildlife Volunteers reported animals during regular monitoring.  The macaques were both released at a local nature reserve.

Agriculture Department Orders Bear bile sign removed (Log July 30, 2008)
Provincial inspectors ordered a sign offering bear bile removed from outside a private home after a local resident reported the crime to the ENV hotline.

Porcupines seized in restaurant inspection (Log July 15, 2008)
Hanoi wildlife officers confiscated three brush-tailed porcupines from a restaurant and fined the owner 2.2million VND.  The restaurant selling wildlife was first reported to ENV in December 2006, but previous inspections by wildlife officers had failed to yield results.

Da Nang Police and Rangers Seize Wildlife in Wine (Log July 15, 2008)
A restaurant inspection by authorities following reports by ENV Wildlife Volunteers netted nine live and 25 frozen water dragons, along with jars of wine containing a leopard cat, bear paws, monitor lizard, and deer antlers.  The illegal wildlife products were later destroyed.

Website removes advertisement (July 4, 2008)
An advertisement offering  bear bile and tiger claws was removed from a website after ENV case officers warned the website administrator that advertising protected wildlife was a violation of the law.  The website was first reported to ENV through the hotline.

Bear Bile 100% Cruel.  Open your eyes to the truth (July 30, 2008)
New advertisement highlights the cruel nature of bear bile extraction and calls on the public to stop the pain inflicted on bears by not using bear bile.

Wildlife Crime Bulletin (July 2008)
The latest wildlife crime bulletin by ENV covering the period of March – June 2008.  Feature story on “Who is protecting Vietnam’s endangered wildlife?”

Bear confiscated by police in Hanoi (July 17, 2008)
Hanoi Environmental Police confiscated an illegal bear and two stump-tailed macaques after receiving information from a Hanoi resident through the ENV Wildlife Crime Hotline.  The seizure is particularly important in light of the fact that authorities in other provinces have been hesitant to confiscate illegal bears, and in some cases, have allowed owners to keep animals after fines are administered.  The Hanoi Environmental Police acted quickly and professionally setting an example for other authorities to follow.  A job well done!

Leopard cat rescued from restaurant (July 2, 2008)
Environmental police confiscated a leopard cat from a restaurant in Hanoi after a foreign visitor reported the cat to the Wildlife Crime Hotline.  The leopard cat was subsequently transferred to the Soc Son Rescue Center.  

Meet the ENV Wildlife Crime Team
Meet the people at ENV that are fighting to protect Vietnam’s wildlife every day, and making a difference!
Link to doc

 

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