Environment

Australian Embassy helps centre with care for suspectedly smuggled wallabies

Representatives from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam recently visited the Hoang Lien centre for wildlife rescue, conservation and development in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai to work on the care for suspectedly smuggled wallabies.
Australian Embassy helps centre with care for suspectedly smuggled wallabies ảnh 1A wallaby under care at the Hoang Lien centre for wildlife rescue, conservation and development (Source: Australian Embassy in Vietnam)
Hanoi (VNA) – Representatives from the AustralianEmbassy in Vietnam recently visited the Hoang Lien centre for wildlife rescue,conservation and development in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai towork on the care for suspectedly smuggled wallabies.

The first wallaby was discovered in nature and caught byresidents in Duc Long commune of Thach An district in the northern mountainousprovince of Cao Bang, on November 8, 2023. Two more were found by local policeand people the next day, and another on November 11.

The animals later were sent to the Hoang Lien centre for wildliferescue, conservation and development of the Hoang Lien National Park for carein a semi-natural habitat.

However, two of the wallabies died due to the stress caused bythe long distance between Cao Bang and Lao Cai, the cold in winter, andillness. The two remainders are adapting well to the new environment, said veterinarianTran Thu Nga, who is caring for the macropods.

The Australian Embassy said on January 26 that visiting the centre,it's representatives presented 80 million VND (over 3,200 USD) in financial aid to help thecentre continue caring for the wallabies.

At the meeting, Director of the Hoang Lien centre La Van Toisaid Vietnam is a hot spot of wildlife trafficking, and that the wallabies arethe first and only foreign-origin animals at the centre.

Heexpressed his hope that the embassy will help the centre connect with animal rescueorganisations, experts, and volunteers to better care for the plants andanimals here, including the wallabies.

Local authorities noted there are no wallabies in nature inVietnam, so the animals could have been abandoned when smugglers were uncoveredby forest rangers.

Wild animals endemic to Australia can only be exported for non-commercialpurposes like exhibiting at zoos. Any individual and organisation accused ofcommitting illegal wildlife trade will be investigated and fined or imprisonedif found guilty, according to the Wildlife Trade Office of Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment./.
VNA
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