Protect Endangered Wildlife Against Exploitation

This report shares the latest on ENV's ongoing efforts to protect endangered wildlife from exploitation in Vietnam. With your vital support, we can continue combating bear farming, tackling the illegal ivory trade, and addressing the rise of wildlife crimes on the internet. These updates highlight the progress we’re making together to protect some of Vietnam’s most vulnerable species. 

We are pleased to share that in the first half of 2024, our Wildlife Crime Unit logged over 1,500 new wildlife crime cases, consisting of more than 4,700 individual violations. With ENV's support, 787 live wild animals have been rescued or voluntarily transferred from January to June this year.

Bears

With less than 200 bears left in captivity, the end to bear bile farming in Vietnam is near. As of June 2024, there are 193 bears on 61 bear farms nationwide, and 46 provinces can claim bear farm-free status.

However, bear bile extraction persists at farms where owners resist transferring their bears to authorities. For this, in July ENV sent 61 postcards to the remaining bear owners nationwide, encouraging them to transfer their bears to rescue centers. As part of a multifaced strategy to end bear farming, ENV has communicated regularly with bear owners since 2005.

Elephant ivory

From January to June this year, the ENV Wildlife Crime Unit logged 120 ivory-related cases, the majority being internet crime cases.

In June, as part of our mission to end the exploitation and slaughter of African elephants for ivory consumption in Vietnam, ENV developed and distributed over 3,500 copies of the Guidelines for Addressing Ivory-related Violations. This comprehensive resource offers clear instructions on enforcing wildlife protection laws to combat ivory-related crimes. It was sent to 981 provincial and district agencies, including Forest Protection Departments, Police, Market Surveillance, Customs, and Border Guards, across all 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam.

On the prosecution side, in February 2023, Hai Phong Customs and City Police seized 615 kg of ivory from two shipping containers at Hai Phong port. In a landmark decision, the Hai Phong City People's Court recently sentenced the recipient of these containers to 10 years in prison. This case marks the first instance of illegal wildlife transport detected at Hai Phong port where the perpetrator was successfully apprehended and prosecuted (Case ref. 26064/ENV).

Pangolins

In Vietnam, pangolins are heavily exploited for their scales and meat, with the illegal trade driven by demand for traditional medicine and luxury consumption, pushing the species closer to extinction.

In the first half of 2024, a total of 68 pangolin cases were logged by the ENV Wildlife Crime Unit, with 5 live pangolins being confiscated or voluntarily transferred thanks to ENV’s contribution.

Additionally, a man was sentenced by Huong Son District Court to five years in prison for possessing six frozen pangolins, two frozen tiger cubs, and a frozen serow head (Case ref. 29438/ENV).

Primates, turtles, & other illegal ‘pets’

In the first half of 2024, 350 turtles and tortoises have been confiscated or voluntarily transferred, and 51 macaques.

Notably, with the support of ENV, the abbot of a pagoda in Hiep Thanh district voluntarily handed over nine leopard cats, three yellow-headed temple turtles, and two elongated tortoises to Bac Lieu Provincial Forest Protection Department. The animals had been gifted by believers over the years. All the wild animals have been released in U Minh Ha National Park (Case ref. 30641/ENV).

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

• ENV provided assistance to a person in voluntarily transfer four critically endangered Bourret's box turtles to the Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department. The turtles were relocated to Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station (Case ref. 30385/ENV).
• After receiving a report about wildlife being sold at a market in Dong Nai, ENV notified law enforcement who checked the site and found a pigmy loris. The Forest Protection Department proceeded to confiscate the animal and transfer it to Cat Tien National Park (Case ref. 29309/ENV).
• In Dong Nai, a long-tailed macaque and a pig-tailed macaque were finally confiscated from an establishment after multiple reports to our Hotline, starting in 2021. Despite earlier searches coming up empty, this time the Forest Protection Department successfully located and confiscated the macaques (Case ref. 22413/ENV).

Internet crime

In the first half of 2024, ENV received over 3,500 reports of online wildlife violations, with individuals advertising and selling wildlife across various platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. These cases highlight the growing challenge of tackling online wildlife crimes.
YouTube, in particular, presents unique obstacles. Despite some content being in clear violation of Vietnamese law, many YouTube channels, such as those showcasing “pet” macaques, do not breach the platform’s global community standards. This gap limits our ability to collaborate effectively with authorities. In response, ENV sends warning messages urging these channels to comply with local wildlife protection laws, though they are not legally bound to follow these warnings.

However, we are pleased to share one of our most recent successes, which involved the confiscation of two macaques—a pig-tailed macaque and a stump-tailed macaque—from an individual exploiting them for profit on his popular YouTube channel, which has over 800,000 followers. Thanks to the vigilance of concerned citizens worldwide, who reported the channel to our Wildlife Crime Hotline, the Thanh Hoa Forest Protection Department was able to take action and confiscate the animals (Case ref. 26811/ENV).

Communication and Public Awareness

Our Communication and Public Awareness team continues to work tirelessly to engage the public, shift behaviors, and build a more informed society through our volunteer network “on the ground”, radio, TV, and airports.

Recently, in Buon Ma Thout, a key area in Vietnam’s ivory trade, ENV’s dedicated outpost has successfully expanded its network with new volunteers. The vibrant group of young individuals has been trained in wildlife crime prevention and species identification, ready to make a difference in their communities.

In July, ENV kicked off the Ending Bear Farm in Hanoi campaign on VOV Traffic, Vietnam’s most popular radio channel, encouraging Hanoi bear owners to voluntarily transfer the last remaining bears to rescue centers.

Moreover, our wildlife protection messages were displayed at Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai Airports, reaching thousands of travelers and commuters.

None of these achievements would have been possible without your generous support.

Thank you for standing with us and playing a vital role in protecting wildlife from exploitation.

Until next time,

As of the first three months of 2024, considerable progress has been made in the battle against wildlife exploitation in Vietnam. ENV’s Wildlife Crime Unit has logged 638 new cases, with 2,043 violations recorded. In addition, over 360 wild animals have been seized or voluntarily transferred during this period.

As ever, we are pleased to share some important field updates since our last report:

Bears

In 2013, 19 bears were transferred to rescue centers and sanctuaries, and as of March 2024, there are now only 204 bears left in captivity in Vietnam. This is a huge improvement from the more than 4,300 bears that were kept in captivity for bile farming in 2005 when ENV started tackling the issue. Currently, 46 provinces can claim bear farm-free status, and we are continuing to work hard to ensure that the remaining bears are rescued and the practice of bear farming is put to an end.

Elephant ivory

In the first quarter of 2024, the ENV Wildlife Crime Unit logged a total of 30 ivory-related cases, with 26 of these being ivory internet crime cases.

As part of our efforts to stop the killing of African elephants for ivory in Vietnam by reducing consumer demand, the beginning of this year marked the third placement of anti-ivory educational standees at nine government offices in the Buon Ma Thuot region, reminding the public that owning ivory does not equate to a high status and listing four actions the public can take to protect elephants. Overall, standees have been placed at 12 government buildings and tourist sites in Buon Ma Thuot city. This initiative is accompanied by other elephant protection and anti-ivory communications activities such as viral adverts, awareness events hosted by ENV’s Buon Ma Thuot Volunteer Outpost, and ENV’s “Elephant Friendly Business” initiative, which engages and raises awareness within the tourism sector and amongst shop owners.

On the prosecution side, ENV closely followed with Hanoi Police and Hanoi Procuracya case that resulted in over 9 years handed down to two sellers and a suspended sentence for a driver for illegally transporting a tiger and possessing 2.7 kg of rhino horn and ivory products in Hanoi (Case ref. 24487/ENV).

Pangolins

From January to March 2024, a total of 31 pangolin cases were logged by the ENV Wildlife Crime Unit.

In a particular case, upon being given a pangolin as a gift, a woman from Thua Thien Hue province took quick action to protect the endangered animal. She contacted our Hotline seeking assistance in ensuring the safe transfer of the pangolin to appropriate authorities. In response, we worked closely with the woman to coordinate the transfer of the pangolin to the Forest Protection Department. Thanks to her responsible actions and our collaborative efforts, the pangolin was successfully transferred to the appropriate authorities for care and protection (Case ref. 29578/ENV).

Important prosecutions also occurred, including a man in Quang Ninh province who received 6 years in prison for illegally transporting four live Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) on his motorbike (Case ref. 30251/ENV), and another subject who received a fine of VND 550,000,000 for illegally transporting a live Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica) (Case ref. 28986/ENV).

Primates, turtles, & other illegal ‘pets’

In 2023, a total of 980 turtles and tortoises have been confiscated or voluntarily transferred, and 109 turtles and tortoises have already been rescued in the first quarter of 2024 alone.

In a particular case, Hoa Vang District Forest Protection Department in Da Nang seized from a pagoda 86 turtles that devotees had released over the years in the belief that it can bring good luck.

In addition, 17 macaques were confiscated or voluntarily transferred.

Notably, in September 2023, a person was arrested for illegally transporting two long-tailed macaques and fined VND 1.250 million for advertising wildlife on social media. In October 2022, the same person was fined VND 15 million for illegally transporting prohibited wildlife. This was after receiving an 18-month suspended sentence from Hanoi City Court for transporting a gibbon in 2022. On March 29, 2024, the person was sentenced to 3 years in prison for illegally selling two macaques (Case ref. 11291/ENV).

Internet crime

ENV received reports of over 1,832 cases of wildlife crime in 2023. These crimes involved the advertising and sale of wildlife on different social media platforms and websites, including Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. In the first three months of 2024, a total of 302 crimes were reported, comprising 1,525 violations.

In particular, two individuals were subjected to substantial fines as a result of their involvement in online wildlife sales. Specifically, one individual was fined VND 85 million (~ USD 3,600) by the Krong No District Police, while the other was fined VND 89.25 million (~ USD 3,500) by the Dong Xoai City Police and the Binh Phuoc Provincial Forest Protection Department. Both subjects were found to have illegally advertised wildlife and their products online and were also found in possession of dead animals or parts. With the highest possible fine for the advertisement of wildlife being VND 100 million, these fines represent a significant step towards preventing others from engaging in similar actions against wildlife; by establishing effective deterrence, it is possible to address the majority of these cases, limiting the rise of cybercrime.

Communication and Public Awareness

Recently, the ENV Communications team has conducted a mission in Nghe An province with the aim of recruiting volunteers and spreading awareness of tiger exploitation at the infamous basement in the region. Around 4,977 postcards encouraging the public to report tiger crimes to the ENV Hotline or law enforcement were distributed.

In addition, in March, ENV released a wild bird protection guide, titled “Wild Birds Prohibited or Restricted from Advertising and Trade,” in support of law enforcement efforts in implementing 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 of species 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 the public to protect wildlife by reporting wildlife violations to the ENV toll-free Wildlife Crime Hotline at 1800-1522.

We are extremely grateful to our generous donors who have been supporting ENV in our mission to preserve and protect Vietnam’s biodiversity from exploitation.

Without you, none of this would be possible.