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Saving Vietnam’s Last Giants: A Battle Against Extinction

Saving Vietnam’s Last Giants: A Battle Against Extinction

Cat Tien National Park/Global Conservation

Filmed by Andrea Pistolesi with the support of Global Conservation. This video dives deep into the critical conservation efforts in Vietnam, highlighting the urgent need to protect the nation’s dwindling wildlife.

In 2010, Vietnam’s last rhinoceros was tragically killed by poachers in Cat Tien National Park, marking a devastating loss for the country’s biodiversity. Today, Vietnam faces the extinction of its tigers, the cruel captivity of sun bears for bile farming, and a critically low population of about 20 elephants in Cat Tien National Park, out of an estimated 100 remaining in the wild across Vietnam. These elephants, the remnants of Asia’s once 100,000-strong population, are under constant threat from human conflicts driven by habitat loss.

Global Conservation has initiated a four-year project to implement the Global Park Defense in Cat Tien National Park, aiming to extend protection to over 100,000 acres of adjacent unprotected forests and wildlife habitats. Global Conservation is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing wildlife that has been injured, orphaned, or threatened by human activities. Each successful release is a step towards strengthening the park’s biodiversity.

Combatting poaching is a crucial aspect of conservation in Cat Tien. Through intensified patrols and advanced technology, the park has significantly reduced wildlife crime. The organization’s anti-poaching units, equipped with the latest surveillance tools, have disrupted poaching networks and saved countless animals. Each snare removed and each arrest made marks a victory for wildlife conservation, protecting endangered species and restoring hope for their future.