Meet the “nannies” of tigers at Hanoi Zoo

Children don’t need to travel far to see wild animals, like tigers, in Hanoi. They can find these giant creatures here in Hanoi Zoo (or Thu Le Park) which is located just about five km from Hanoi’s centre, on Kim Ma street in Ba Dinh district. The zoo is home to nine tigers, most of which are from Indochinese subspecies that are native to Southeast Asia. The Indochinese tiger is distributed in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. Its historical range also included Cambodia, China and Vietnam. Population of tigers in Laos and Vietnam has declined significantly, according to the global census of tigers in 2016. In Vietnam, a 2014 IUCN Red List report indicated that tigers possibly extinct in Vietnam. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

One of the nine tigers raised in Hanoi Zoo. Most of them are from Indochinese subspecies that are native to Southeast Asia. The Indochinese tiger is distributed in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. Its historical range also included Cambodia, China and Vietnam. Population of tigers in Laos and Vietnam has declined significantly, according to the global census of tigers in 2016. A 2016 World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) estimate indicated that Vietnam has only around five tigers left in the wild. While there are very few wild tigers left, the number of the registered captive big cats in Vietnam, mostly in private facilities, has increased from 97 in 2010 to 364 in 2021. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A normal working day starts at 7:30am for Nguyen Quang Phuc, head of the zoo’s predator caregiver team, when he and his co-workers come visit the beasts in their semi-wild enclosures. The 52-year-old zookeeper has been working here for 26 years. He and his team, which comprises around 10 people, often spend most of their day, from 7:30am to 4:30pm, cleaning enclosures, feeding the animals and giving them routine medical attention. The job, which sounds quite simple, in fact must be done with special care. Because of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, they have to disinfect the enclosures frequently to protect them from the virus. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The tigers’ caretakers have been dearly known as their nannies and friends, who take care of the animals with brave hearts, understanding and dedication. They are all working quietly amongst animal roars and commotion to keep the tigers healthy and happy. They feed, bath and check the health of the tigers every day to make sure they are okay, that they do not neither mope around nor refuse to eat. To the caregivers, there is nothing terrifying about being around the tigers and getting into contact with them daily since they have been at this job for quite many years. For some of them, it has been over two decades. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Nguyen Quang Phuc and his team, which comprises around 10 people, often spend most of their day, from 7:30am to 4:30pm, cleaning enclosures, feeding the animals and giving them proper medical attention. As apex predators, tigers are kept in well-cemented enclosures to ensure the caregivers are safe and the animals can still have some space of their own so they can frolic around with great vigor. Working every day with the predatory animals, most recognizable for their dark vertical stripes on shiny orange fur with a white underside, leaves the staff no room for error. Each enclosure is partitioned into two chambers, with cemented walls and locked doors in between. When they want to clean this chamber, they lure the tigers into another and lock them up, so the keepers can do their job safely. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Because of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the staff have to disinfect the enclosures frequently to protect them the tigers from the virus. Most of the tigers raised at Hanoi Zoo are from Indochinese subspecies that are native to Southeast Asia. The Indochinese tiger is distributed in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. Its historical range also included Cambodia, China and Vietnam. Population of tigers in Laos and Vietnam has declined significantly, according to the global census of tigers in 2016. The same year’s World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) estimate indicated that Vietnam has only around five tigers left in the wild. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

In the face of tiger disappearance, at the Global Tiger Summit in Russia in 2010, Vietnam and 12 countries committed to doubling the number of wild tigers in the world by 2022 – the Year of the Tiger in the lunar calendar. On April 16, 2014, the Vietnamese government approved a 2014 – 2022 national programme on conserving tigers via protecting their habitat and gradually increasing their number. However, the number of wild tigers in Vietnam remains very few, while other countries such as India, Nepal, Bhutan, Russia and China have achieved certain success in increasing their wild tiger population. As a result, the global tiger population rose from about 3,200 in 2010 to at least 3,890 in 2016. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The cleaning starts after the tigers are taken to a different area. This is done to ensure that the enclosures are clean and free of pathogens. Each tiger enclosure at Hanoi Zoo, also known as Thu Le Park, is partitioned into two chambers, with cemented walls and locked doors in between. Working every day with the predatory animals, most recognizable for their dark vertical stripes on shiny orange fur with a white underside, leaves the staff here no room for error. Zookeepers have been dearly known as tigers’ nannies and friends, who take care of the giant beasts with brave hearts, understanding and dedication. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The doors are designed to be so heavy that must be opened manually by two to three people at once using a winch system. In the wild, an adult male Indochinese tiger can grow up to 2.85 meters long and weigh up to 300 kg. Females are often smaller. Females bear up to five tigers per litter. Newborn tigers usually weigh around 1 kg at birth. Population of tigers in Laos and Vietnam has declined significantly, according to the global census of tigers in 2016. The same year’s World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) estimate indicated that Vietnam has only around five tigers left in the wild. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Nguyen Quang Phuc, head of Hanoi Zoo’s predator caregiver team, have 26 years of experience in taking care of the Indochinese tigers, a species listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and Vietnam's Red Data Book, a list of rare and endangered species of fauna and flora native to the Southeast Asian country. Caretakers have been dearly known as tigers’ nannies and friends, who take care of the animals with brave hearts, understanding and dedication. They are all working quietly amongst animal roars and commotion to keep the tigers healthy and happy. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

On April 16, 2014, the Vietnamese government approved a 2014 – 2022 national programme on conserving tigers via protecting their habitat and gradually increasing their number. However, the number of wild tigers in Vietnam remains very few, while other countries such as India, Nepal, Bhutan, Russia and China have achieved certain success in increasing their wild tiger population. As a result, the global tiger population rose from about 3,200 in 2010 to at least 3,890 in 2016. Of various methods, tiger farming is viewed as an effective solution to restore wild tiger population in Vietnam. The number of registered captive tigers, mostly in domestic private facilities, went up to 364 in 2021 from 97 in 2010. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Tran Thi Ngoc, a caretaker at Hanoi Zoo, said she has been doing this job for over 20 years. Her main duties are bathing and taking care of the tigers. She remembered how scared she was during her first days at work. She then started getting used to being around them and eventually liked her job. Now she knows the animals’ likes and dislikes like the back of her hand. The animals are calm and are generally obedient and submissive unless provoked. The beasts may look intimidating and behave aggressively toward strangers but they are just meek big cats in the presence of their caregivers. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

It’s feeding time. The staff divide beef and pork ribs into servings. Each tiger is fed once a day with the sumptuous portion, including five kg of beef and one kg of ribs. To provide the tigers with a balanced diet, mineral or vitamin supplements are often served along with the meat. This can be done by scoring the meat and rubbing a multi-vitamin powder inside the cuts which the tigers will lick off before eating. Feeding time begins at 10am. Great caution should be taken, as the animals can easily get excited at the sight of food and their predatory instincts can blur the line of friendship. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The staff starts to divide beef and pork ribs into equal servings for the tigers at around 9:30am daily. Each tiger is fed once a day with the sumptuous portion, including five kg of beef and one kg of ribs. To provide the tigers with a balanced diet, mineral or vitamin supplements are often served along with the meat. This can be done by scoring the meat and rubbing a multi-vitamin powder inside the cuts which the tigers will lick off before eating. Feeding time begins at 10am. Great caution should be taken, as the animals can easily get excited at the sight of food and their predatory instincts can blur the line of friendship. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

There are nine tigers being raised at Hanoi Zoo. The youngest is three years old and the oldest is about 16 – 17 years old. Population of tigers in Laos and Vietnam has declined significantly, according to the global census of tigers in 2016. Relentless illegal wildlife trade and poaching are making it more difficult to restore the tiger population in Vietnam’s wilderness. Tiger parts are widely used in traditional medicine, particularly in producing bone paste despite overwhelming scientific evidence that they have no beneficial value. The same year’s World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) estimate indicated that Vietnam has only around five tigers left in the wild. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

TRAFFIC, the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network, has analysed tiger consumers in Vietnam to understand the profiles and motivations of buyers and users, according to the WWF’s Impact on Tiger Recovery 2010 – 2022. Six percent of respondents said they had bought or used tiger products, primarily tiger bone glue, and seventy-one percent of users reported using tiger products for so-called medicinal purposes. These data provide invaluable information which is now being used to inform behaviour change approaches to reduce demand for tiger parts and products. Behaviour change campaigns in Vietnam will target messages and approaches based on the findings of tiger consumer surveys and expertise on social behaviour change and marketing. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Though not allowed to roam free as in the wilderness, the big cats at Hanoi Zoo are guaranteed protection, medical care, and a balanced diet. The tigers are served with not only food but also mineral or vitamin supplements. To do this, the zookeepers score the meat with a knife so that they can rub the vitamin powder inside the meat, tigers will usually lick this supplement off before eating. When feeding the animals, great caution should be taken, as the animals can easily get excited at the sight of food and their predatory instincts can blur the line of friendship. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The number of registered captive tigers, mostly in private facilities, went up to 364 in 2021 from 97 in 2010. However, compared to common conditions and objectives of "conservative tiger farming", the Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) believes that none of the tiger breeding facilities in Vietnam are doing it right. This is a lengthy, expensive process that requires a specific plan and the close monitoring of a competent State agency, a ENV representative said. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development plans to conduct an investigation and build a database of all tigers being farmed in Vietnam in an effort to strictly control the breeding activities and properly handle tigers’ deaths, according to ENV. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Le Thi Thu Ha (in red), a veterinarian at Hanoi Zoo, shared that taking care of tigers brings her joys but sometimes, it comes with stress. She has to visit every tiger early in the morning on a daily basis to check their health condition, paying attention to any sign of illness reported by the caregivers. Fatigue or loss of appetite are telltale signs of ill health. It must be immediately reported to leaders of the zoo and actions will be quickly taken to properly treat the ill tiger. She recalled how she was shockingly frightened the first time she heard a tiger’s roar at work. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Le Thi Thu Ha and the tigers are now buddies. She feels such a strong attachment with the tigers that she can’t be at ease unless she knows that they are in good health every day. She has been working at Hanoi Zoo for ten years. The 28-ha zoo was built on an oval-shaped piece of land and surrounded by a large lake called Thu Le. It can be accessed via two entrances, one on Kim Ma Street and the other on Buoi road. It is home to about 600 animals of over 100 species, including nine tigers, most of which come from the Indochinese subspecies. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Le Thi Thu Ha has to visit every tiger early in the morning on a daily basis to check their health condition, paying attention to any sign of illness reported by the caregivers. Fatigue or loss of appetite are telltale signs of ill health. It must be immediately reported to leaders of the zoo and actions will be quickly taken to properly treat the ill tiger. She recalled how she was shockingly frightened the first time she heard a tiger’s roar at work. After working at the zoo for 10 years, she feels such a strong attachment with the tigers that she can’t be at ease unless she knows that they are in good health. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The tigers have the company of veterinarians and caregivers, the trusted friends who have their backs. The zookeepers take care of the animals with brave hearts, understanding and dedication. They are all working quietly amongst animal roars and commotion to keep the tigers healthy and happy. They feed, bath and check the health of the tigers every day to make sure they are okay, that they do not neither mope around nor refuse to eat. To the caregivers, there is nothing terrifying about being around the tigers and getting into contact with them daily since they have been at this job for quite many years. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

A “nanny” keeps his distance when feeding the tigers. The youngest tiger at Hanoi Zoo is three years old while the oldest is about 16 – 17 years old. The tigers and their caregivers make great friends and spend some ‘quality time’ together. The beasts may look intimidating and behave aggressively toward strangers but they are just meek big cats in the presence of their caregivers. Though not allowed to roam free as in the wilderness, the big cats here are guaranteed protection, medical care, and a balanced diet. In summer, the tigers are kept cool by air conditioning fans while in winter, the enclosures are warmed by fan heaters. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

According to ENV, the wild tiger population had decreased significantly in Vietnam and around the world over the past 30 years. Meanwhile, the breeding of tigers for "non-commercial" purposes by individuals and businesses in the country was growing strongly with the number of registered captive tigers increasing. In the near future, State agencies would conduct surveys and make records of all tigers being raised in Vietnam and set up a national database to manage tigers being kept in captivity under the National Programme on Tiger Conservation. The ENV has proposed the Government and agencies complete legal provisions to tighten the management of tiger farming in the country. (Photo: VietnamPlus)

The population of tigers worldwide has declined by 93 percent in the last century and it is estimated that only less than 4,000 remain in the wild, making the tiger one of the world’s most endangered species. According to the World Wild Fund (WWF) in Vietnam, the loss of tigers would lead to a loss in terms of ecology, culture and science. The conservation of tigers would also help to protect their habitat in nature, particularly forests – that is the dual goal of wildlife conservation. Vietnam has strict sentences for tiger-related crimes, especially since the Penal Code came into effect. However, the handling of violators remains limited. (Photo: VietnamPlus)