News Brief (E313, 8 May, 2009)
Top News
Ho Chi Minh: Traditional medicine business owner prosecuted
On May 4th, 2009 the Ho Chi Minh Police made a decision to arrest and detain the owner of a traditional medicine shop in District 5 in temporary custody. In March, the shop owner had been caught illegally possessing a large quantity of wildlife including 2.7kg of rhino horns, 20kg of elephant tusks, 60 leopard claws (Panthera pardus), 17 banteng horns (Bos banteng javanicus), the bodies of eight small lorises, and many other body parts of rare animals.
(Vietnamese version)
http://envietnam.org/E_News/E_313/Bat_giam_chu_buon_ban_DVHD.html
Songbirds smuggled from Vietnam to US in man’s leggings
A man has been charged with smuggling songbirds into the United States by hiding more than a dozen of them in an elaborate, custom-made pair of leggings during a flight from Vietnam to Los Angeles.
(Vietnamese version)
http://envietnam.org/E_News/E_313/Ke_buon_chim_giau_hang_trong_tat.html
(English version)
http://envietnam.org/E_News/E_313/Man_accused_of_smuggling_songbirds.html
Thanh Hoa: Subject fined nearly 45 million VND for illegally transporting timber
In late April, 2009 the Thanh Hoa Provincial People’s Committee fined a man 44.3 million VND for illegally transporting over six cubic meters of timber.
(Vietnamese version)
http://envietnam.org/E_News/E_313/Phat_gan_45_trieu_dong_vi_buon_go_lau.pdf
Dac Lac: Rangers heavily injured in attack by loggers
In late April, 2009 an inspection team from Ea So Nature Reserve discovered a group of people poaching wild animals. Rangers arrested two of the hunters and seized one head and two hind legs of a deer. The rest of the hunters fled to a village, before returning to attack the ranger team. The attack left one ranger severely injured.
(Vietnamese version)
http://envietnam.org/E_News/E_313/Mot_kiem_lam_bi_lam_tac_dam_trong_thuong.pdf
Dac Nong: Thirty-two loggers prosecuted
Police in Dac Song District recently announced that 32 subjects have been prosecuted over the destruction of 43 hectares of the forest which was managed by Truong Xuan State Forest Enterprise.
(Vietnamese version)
http://envietnam.org/E_News/E_313/Dac_Nong_Khoi_to_32_ten_lam_tac.pdf
ENV’s activities
Mobile Bear Exhibit at the reunification park
On the weekend of the 25th and 26th April, 2009, Education for Nature - Vietnam (ENV) conducted a Mobile Bear Exhibition called “Bring Peace to Vietnam’s Bears” at the Reunification Park in Hanoi. The exhibit attracted significant participation from many of the park’s visitors. The visitors had the chance to learn more about the illegal bear trade, the threats to bear species and were encouraged to sign commitments saying ‘no’ to the use of bear bile and bear products. The exhibition also featured a life-sized torture chamber which visitors could enter to view footage of bear bile extraction, and bear artwork. In the children’s corner of the exhibit, children colored pictures about protecting Vietnam’s bears. Over the two days, 899 people signed pledges committing not to use bear bile or bear products.
Since late 2008, ENV have held five mobile bear exhibitions with similar activities in Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang and Nghe An.
Find out more about the wildlife trade in Vietnam: www.savingvietnamswildlife.org
Stay up to date with ENV on Facebook
Join ENV’s Facebook Group
The ENV team regularly updates our facebook group with wildlife crime news, interesting cases and information about our other work. Click on this link to join our group and help save Vietnam’s wildlife: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=47162312016
Nguyen Thi My Dung
Communications officer
Education for Nature - Vietnam
No. 5 Ngo 192 Thai Thinh
PO Box 222
Dong Da district
Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone/fax: +84 4 3514-8850
E-mail: env@fpt.vn
www.envietnam.org (English)
www.thiennhien.org (Vietnamese)
www.savingvietnamswildlife.org (English wildlife trade website)