Ten rare otters saved from illegal trade in Nam Dinh

Ten Asian small-clawed otters (Aonex cinerea) have been rescued from illegal traders by the Save Vietnam’s Wildlife (SVW) in the northern province of Nam Dinh.
Ten rare otters saved from illegal trade in Nam Dinh ảnh 1Ten Asian small-clawed otters (Aonex cinerea) are rescued from illegal traders by the Save Vietnam’s Wildlife (SVW) in Nam Dinh. (Photo: SVW)

Hanoi (VNA) – Ten Asian small-clawed otters (Aonexcinerea) have been rescued from illegal traders by the Save Vietnam’s Wildlife(SVW) in the northern province of Nam Dinh.

The animal is listed among rare and valuable animal species in need ofprotection in Vietnam’s Red Book and Decree 160/2013/ND-CP dated November 12,2013.

It was the biggest number of the species ever saved by SVW to date,said Tran Quang Phuong, manager of the SVW’s Carnivore and PangolinConservation Programme (CPCP).

The otters were confiscated from an illegal trader when he was transportingthem in Nam Dinh City during the night of November 15 thanks to joint effortsbetween the SVW’s rapid response team and Cuc Phuong National Park.

The otters were later moved to the SVW’s centre in Ninh Binh. They werein quite good condition with no injury and will be given medical checkups andtaken care of at the centre’s quarantine enclosures.

According to the SVW, the number of Asian small-clawed otters inVietnam is decreasing rapidly due to illegal hunting and trade and loss ofhabitats. The animal is hunted for their fur or for keeping as pets.

SVW is a national non-profit organisation in Vietnamthat was founded in 214 on the critical need for more effective solutions tosecure a future for Vietnamese wildlife. At thecore of SVW’s programme of work in Vietnam is a collaborative partnership withCuc Phuong National Park to support the management and operation of the CPCP.

SVW is actively engaged in supporting the confiscationof wildlife from the illegal trade, rescuing, rehabilitating and releasinganimals into suitable and secured habitats that support conservation of wildpopulations. –VNA


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