Participants of the wildlife release tour at the Cuc Phuong National Park are children of local forest rangers. Established in 1962, Cuc Phuong is the first and largest nature reserve in Vietnam. The park is located around 120km southwest of Hanoi and nestled in the convergence of three provinces: Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa. Covering an area of 25,000 hectares, the park is a typical tropical rainforest that is home to a diversified system of flora and fauna and contains several highly endangered species. On par with the most famous primeval forests in the world, Cuc Phuong National Park has experienced many historical changes since its creation, yet it still retains its wild beauty and precious ‘treasures’. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
The management board of the Cuc Phuong National Park said as from March 2021, a free tour named “Coming home” has been launched at the park, allowing tourists to involve in the release of animals back to nature, thereby helping to spread the message of nature conservation among the public. For the first time in a national park in Vietnam, visitors can join authorities in releasing rescued wild animals back to nature. According to the director of the national park Nguyen Van Chinh, each visitor joining the tour will become an “ambassador” who helps raise public awareness of nature conservation. Established in 1962, Cuc Phuong is the first and largest nature reserve in Vietnam. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Over the past time, the programme has received warm response from the public. The Cuc Phuong National Park is the natural habitat of more than 2,000 plant species and 2,600 species of animals including 2,000 species of insects, 135 mammal species, 122 species of reptiles and amphibians, 65 species of fishes and more than 336 species of birds. Many endangered species have been found and protected here including the flying lizard, spotted deer, golden monkey, bear, leopard, fox, horse, and the famous black and white douc langur. In addition, the park is also famous for its numerous mountain cave landscapes. The park includes many limestone mountains and valleys. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
A wildlife release tour has been organised to celebrate the full-moon festival, during which wild animals weighing nearly 100 kg have been freed. The ideal time to visit the Cuc Phuong National Park is between December and May - when the weather is cool, dry and pleasant. Visitors should avoid going during the stormy season in the north, which is around June to August - a very dangerous time for trekking in the park. Visitors will be particularly amazed during the colourful butterfly season in the national park in May when a sparkling and brilliant picture is painted by millions of butterflies of all kinds, making them feel like they’re lost in a fairyland. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
The wildlife release programme aims to continue the task of protecting wildlife at the Cuc Phuong National Park, helping to enrich the environment there. Over the last six decades, Cuc Phuong has served not only as a ‘cradle’ for the training of students to be specialised in the forestry sector but also an ideal place to promote environmental education activities. In recent times, the management board of the park has synchronously implemented three pillars: forest protection and biodiversity conservation; scientific research and international cooperation on conservation; and environmental education and ecotourism development. According to the director of the national park Nguyen Van Chinh, forest protection is the most important function of the park. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Through the wildlife release programme, the management board of the Cuc Phuong National Park has also called for joint efforts in wildlife protection. Director of the national park Nguyen Van Chinh said the Cuc Phuong forest protection station - the main unit performing this task, has made many changes in personnel arrangement and has improved the professionalism of forest rangers. Environmental education through ecotourism activities is an effective channel to raise public awareness and convey a message of love of nature and its preservation. As the first-ever tour of its kind in Vietnam, the "Coming home" aims to spread a message of nature conservation far and wide among the public. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
The free tour allows tourists to involve in the release of animals back into the Cuc Phuong National Park forest. Illegally trafficked animals like birds, monkeys, reptiles, wild cats, and civets would be released back into the forest during the tours, named ‘Coming Home’, each comprising a maximum 15 participants. Visitors are encouraged to donate to the park for its preservation work. Enthusiasts can register a month in advance via the Cuc Phuong National Park Tourism fanpage to obtain their letter of invitation. Cuc Phuong is Vietnam's first national park, located in the Tam Diep mountain range, across the territory of three provinces of Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Nguyen Van Sy, former member of the men’s national football squad and coach of Nam Dinh Football Club, and his family handed over three pythons that they rescued from smugglers to the Cuc Phuong National Park. “This is the best place for the pythons to live,” he said. Covering an area of 25,000 hectares, the park is home to more than 2000 plant species and 2600 species of animals including 2000 species of insects, 135 mammal species, 122 species of reptiles and amphibians, 65 species of fishes and more than 336 species of birds. Many endangered species have been found and protected here including the flying lizard, spotted deer, golden monkey, bear, leopard, fox, horse, and the famous black and white douc langur. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
“The children had a meaningful full-moon festival at the Cuc Phuong National Park,” said Nguyen Van Sy, former member of the men’s national football squad and coach of Nam Dinh Football Club. The "Coing home" free tour at the Cuc Phuong National Park in the northern province of Ninh Binh allows tourists to engage in the release of animals back to nature, thereby helping to spread the message of nature conservation among the public. For the first time in a national park in Vietnam, visitors can join authorities in releasing rescued wild animals back to nature. Each visitor joining the tour will become an “ambassador” who helps raise public awareness of nature conservation. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Do Van Lap, Deputy Director of the Cuc Phuong National Park, lauded Nguyen Van Sy, former member of the men’s national football squad and coach of Nam Dinh Football Club, for handing over the pythons to the park in order to release them to the wild. Vietnam has launched long-term and consistent efforts to strengthen law enforcement to protect wildlife and biodiversity and improve the livelihoods of people affected by declining biodiversity. Wildlife-related crimes are considered serious, with convicted criminals now facing higher penalties and longer prison sentences in accordance with amendments to the 2015 Penal Code adopted by the National Assembly in 2017. Violators may face up to 15 years in prison and fines of up to 15 billion VND (650,000 USD), with penalties rising in line with the quantity of wildlife trafficked. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
The Cuc Phuong National Park has been known for wildlife rescue and protection, and is considered a “big school” for environmental education. The management board of Cuc Phuong is striving to turn it into a model national park. Deputy Director of the park Do Van Lap said in order to become a model national park, the first and foremost task is to have model people. Given this, apart from forest protection and scientific research, environmental education is a core step to turn Cuc Phuong into a “big school” of nature education. On the basis of this idea, a club for conservation education has been set up at the national park. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
A club for conservation education was set up at the Cuc Phuong National Park. Supported by Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and Education for Nature - Vietnam (ENV), forest rangers have visited thousands of children in villages across the 15 communes located in the park’s buffer zone over the last 20 years to instill the love for nature into the young. Many of these children, in turn, have become forest rangers or teachers helping to improve the local community’s awareness. Besides, wildlife rescue programmes at the park have also attracted Vietnamese and foreign students via summer camps or volunteering campaigns, equipping the young with knowledge about the nature and animal rescue and care skills. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
According to the Biodiversity Conservation Agency, Vietnam has got tougher on violators of wildlife and biodiversity conservation rules. In July last year, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued Directive No 29 on urgent measures to restrict wildlife trade and consumption, banning the importation of live wild animals and wildlife products, strictly eliminating wildlife markets, and prohibiting the hunting, transporting, slaughtering, selling, buying, storing, consuming, or advertising of wildlife, including online sales. Vietnam is among the signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the 1989 Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Vietnam has also stepped up bilateral and multilateral cooperation on wildlife conservation, for example signing an agreement with South Africa in 2012 to put an end to the illegal trade of rhinoceros horn. Between 2015 and 2020, about 73 percent of wildlife trafficking cases were brought to trial. The 2015 Penal Code resulted in an increase in average prison sentences for wildlife crime in subsequent years, to 5.29 years in 2018 and 4.49 years in the first half of 2020 compared to just 1.25 years in 2017. Vietnam is now home to 173 wildlife conservation zones, comprising 33 national parks, 66 nature reserves, and 18 species and habitat reserves. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
As of October 2020, Vietnam’s forest coverage had reached 41.89 percent, or over 13.8 million hectares. The country owns 173 conservation zones with a total area of over 2,500 hectares, including 33 national parks and 66 nature reserves. According to the sixth national report on biological diversity, Vietnam now has 51,400 species of fauna and flora, including about 7,500 strains of microorganisms, 20,000 flora species, 10,900 terrestrial animal species, and 2,000 invertebrate and freshwater fish species. During 2014-2018, a total of 334 new species of fauna and flora were discovered in Vietnam. According to the Biodiversity Conservation Agency, Vietnam has been tougher on violators of wildlife and biodiversity conservation rules. (Photo: VietnamPlus) 
Forest rangers, children and their parents joining the wildlife release programme at the Cuc Phuong National Park pose for a group photo. Over the last six decades, Cuc Phuong has served not only as a ‘cradle’ for personnel training for the forestry sector but also an ideal place to promote environmental education activities. In recent times, the management board of the park has synchronously implemented three pillars: forest protection and biodiversity conservation; scientific research and international cooperation on conservation; and environmental education and ecotourism development. Environmental education through ecotourism activities is an effective channel to raise public awareness and convey a message of love of nature and its preservation. (Photo: VietnamPlus) VNA
