Vietnam’s forest rangers and customs officials will receive copies of a new book to help them identify protected animals.
The book was released on Tuesday by TRAFFIC, an international wildlife trade monitoring network, and Vietnam’s Forest Protection Department. It contains pictures and descriptions of 150 wildlife species protected by Vietnamese law and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The animals in the book, “A Pictorial Guide for Quick Identification of Some Wild Animals Protected by Vietnamese Laws and CITES,” are often hunted and sold to wildlife traders.
The handbook was designed to help forest wardens recognize protected species so they can take swift action to stop poaching and smuggling.
Fauna species with similar appearances are listed next to each other so readers can compare and identify them.
The handbook is a joint work by the Forest Protection Department and the TRAFFIC Southeast Asia – Greater Mekong Program.
The Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam sponsored the publication of 1,000 handbooks, which will be delivered to forest protection officers, market management and customs officials, policemen and national park rangers over the next few months.