Help 30 Women Fight Wildlife Crime in Vietnam

Thanks to your continuous support, in 2024 the women of ENV continued to keep up with our fight to eliminate the illegal trade of wildlife in Vietnam, especially threatened and endangered species. Our team focused on tackling some of the most urgent challenges, from ending bile bear farming to pangolin trafficking and reducing consumer demand for rhino horn and elephant ivory. We have worked hand in hand with policy makers, law enforcement authorities, prosecutors, judges, and members of the public to address these critical issues by strengthening wildlife protection laws, supporting law enforcement in tackling wildlife crimes, and engaging the public to reduce demand for wildlife and promote responsibility to protect wildlife.

In 2024, the ENV Wildlife Crime Unit logged over 3,000 new wildlife crime cases, consisting of more than 9,000 individual violations. With ENV's support, 1,577 live wild animals have been confiscated or voluntarily transferred, including 11 pangolins, over 600 turtles and tortoises, along with more than 90 macaques, 11 lorises, and 14 otters.

Below are but a few examples of successes achieved by our Wildlife Crime Unit since our last report:

• Three green sea turtles and one olive ridley sea turtle were confiscated from a resort in Binh Thuan after a concerned person reported the violation to the ENV Hotline. We promptly alerted the authorities, who inspected the site and rescued the four protected turtles kept captive in a tank (Case ref. 32508/ENV).
• After receiving a public report, ENV facilitated the transfer of a pangolin, reportedly discovered by a man from Dien Bien province, to the Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Program at Cuc Phuong National Park (Case ref. 32731/ENV).
• A person from Dak Lak province contacted the ENV Hotline to voluntarily surrender a pig-tailed macaque that had been kept for years after being gifted by a relative. We promptly informed the Forest Protection Department, which collected the macaque and transferred it to a wildlife rescue center (Case ref. 32396/ENV).
• A public report to ENV led to the shocking discovery of over 2,000 dead birds, including 1,000 sparrows and 1,280 snipes, at a woman’s house in Quang Nam province. The woman, who had been advertising the sale of wild animals online, was fined nearly 8 million VND after authorities inspected her residence. The dead wildlife was seized (Case ref. 31797/ENV).

Legislation and Policy Team

To establish stronger deterrents against wildlife crimes, in 2024 ENV focused on several key cases, providing legal support to prosecutors and courts to ensure strict penalties for offenders.

Below are some of the most important prosecutions of wildlife crime occurred in 2024:

• Three subjects were sentenced to over 15 years in prison for transporting 11 Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) and pangolin scales in Cao Bang. The live pangolins were transferred to the Hanoi Wildlife Rescue Center (Case ref. 29715/ENV).
• A subject was sentenced to 5 years in prison after being identified as the owner of seven live big-headed turtles (Platysternon megacephalum) and three live keeled box turtles (Cuora mouhoti), as well as 59 live Chinese cobras (Naja atra) being seized on a passenger bus. All the wildlife was transferred to the Hanoi Wildlife Rescue Center (Case ref. 28185/ENV).
• Five individuals were sentenced to over 40 years in prison for illegally transporting 54.26 kg of ivory bracelets and chopsticks, along with 22.63 kg of rhino horn, in Hanoi (Case ref. 27715/ENV).
• In another landmark case, Hai Phong Customs and City Police seized 615 kg of ivory at Hai Phong port in February 2023. The Hai Phong City People’s Court sentenced the container recipient to 10 years in prison, marking the first successful prosecution of illegal wildlife transport at Hai Phong port (Case ref. 26064/ENV).

Communications and Public Awareness Team

ENV’s Communication and Public Awareness Team worked tirelessly in 2024, creating social media ads, radio shows, and Public Service Announcements that reached millions across Vietnam. Some messages aim to deter wildlife crime with strong warnings, while others inspire positive change by touching hearts. To ensure a future where wildlife thrives free from exploitation, changing public perception and behavior is key, and ENV’s content is crafted not just to inform, but to inspire action.

In 2024, two public service announcements (PSAs) were produced and broadcast across over 50 television channels. In May, we released The ENV Call Center, aimed at encouraging the public to protect wildlife by reporting wildlife violations to the ENV Wildlife Crime Hotline. In August, it was time for “Religious release of wildlife: Kindness or Karma?”, which addresses the urgent issue of turtle sales for religious releases, urging the public to bring good luck and positive karma for themselves and turtles by not buying turtles then releasing them. 

To end the year on yet another positive note, in December we hosted the 15^th Song Hong Half Marathon #Run4Wildlife in Hanoi. This year’s event aimed to raise awareness about the important role that wildlife rescue centers, such as the Hanoi Wildlife Rescue Center, play in protecting Vietnam’s biodiversity and combating the illegal wildlife trade, and saw the joyful participation of over 300 runners from 26 countries.

As 2025 begins, we’re more determined than ever to fight against illegal wildlife trade and exploitation. Your continuous trust and support give us the strength to fight even harder to protect Vietnam’s wildlife.

Until next time,