Rescuing the “forest guests” who accidentally wandered off
Since the beginning of October, several endangered and rare wild animals have accidentally wandered into people’s homes in Da Nang city and have been promptly rescued by local authorities after being discovered by residents. Specifically, the Da Nang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported the successful rescue of three wild animals, including a 1.5kg Burmese serpent eagle, a 1.2kg Javan pangolin, and a 0.5kg white-throated hornbill.
Previously, on October 5th, a Burmese serpent eagle (scientific name Spilornis cheela) unexpectedly flew into the house of Ms. N.T.M.L in Cam Le district. Recognizing the rarity of this species, Ms. L immediately reported the incident to local authorities who, along with the forest rangers, took charge of the situation.
The individual Burmese serpent eagle was handed over by the people. (Photo: Nguyen Tu)
One day later, Mr. N.V.L, a resident of Hoa Vang district, accidentally discovered a Javan pangolin (scientific name Manis javanica) lost in his garden. He then contacted the city’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to hand over the animal.
The Java pangolin was handed over by the people. (Photo: Nguyen Tu)
Another notable case involved Mr. N.T.H, a resident of Cam Le district, who found a white-throated hornbill (scientific name Anthracoceros albirostris, belonging to the hornbill family Bucerotidae) in his garden. Mr. H immediately kept the bird and handed it over to the forest rangers.
The white-throated hornbill was handed over by the people. (Photo: Nguyen Tu)
These individuals are all classified as rare and endangered Group IIB wildlife, which are prioritized for protection and strictly prohibited from being exploited or used for commercial purposes. Thanks to the cooperation between citizens and forest rangers, these animals were rescued and taken to a special care station before being released back into the wild.
These events demonstrate the increasing awareness of nature conservation among the public. In the past, when rare animals appeared in residential areas, they might have been hunted or consumed. However, now, instead of exploiting them, people know how to cooperate with the authorities to protect them. This is an encouraging sign of the community’s awareness and responsibility in wildlife conservation.
Protecting wildlife is not only the responsibility of law enforcement agencies but also of every individual in the community. Every small action, from not buying or using products made from wildlife to reporting to the authorities when discovering rare animals in residential areas, contributes to making a big difference.
Hopefully, in the future, more localities will have similar positive actions to protect and preserve Vietnam’s valuable biodiversity.
Source: Thanh Nien newspaper
