VietNamNet Bridge – While farmers, who have been trying to breed wild animals, thus contributing to the gene conservation of precious species and working as “special collaborators for state agencies, they do not get any support from the State.

The person giving directory assistance about pheasant breeding

The special collaborators
Besides Tran Dinh Nhon, who has been well known as the red pheasant breeders, many other farmers have also become famous for their achievements in preserving genes of precious species. They include Nguyen Van Luc in Cho Gao district in Tien Giang province, the breeder of guinea-fowl (Bambusicola), Ba Hue in Cu Chi district in HCM City, the provider of turtle species to tourism sites and sanctuaries.

Cao Thanh Long in Thu Duc district, after five years of breeding wild animals, is now owning a lot of species such as jungle fowl, weasel and bamboo rat. Duong Quoc Hung in Tien Giang province has become famous after he successfully raised white porcupine with high economic value. Meanwhile, Ba Hue has successfully reproduced two precious species of turtles. Hue’s farm has become the place which helps breed the wild animals seized from illegal trade before the animals are returned to the wild.

The mini sanctuaries of farmers not only serve as the places for them to practice and exchange experiences, but also as the places for preservation experts to come and learn about the breeding techniques.

Nguyen Dinh Cuong, Head of the HCM City Forest Management Sub-department, said that a lot of local residents have made great contribution to the work of preserving precious species. They are ready to cooperate and exchange experiences with relevant branches. They help rescue animals and give the animals back to branches when the animals recover. They also cooperate with forest rangers to return precious animals to the wild.

Hoa Ca and Ton Phat, the crocodile breeders, for example, have freed hundreds of crocodiles, turtle and pythons to the forests for the population recovering.

Especially, many people, who can farm and domesticate some species of animals belonging to the prohibited list, such as bears, gibbons hung cheeks, white cheek gibbons have surrendered the animals. Some people reported to relevant ministries about the cases of illegal trade of precious animals.

Dr Vo Van Su from the Husbandry Institute has recognized the great contribution of farmers to the gene preservation and wild animal protection.

Which mechanism to voluntary gene preservers?

Cuong has pointed out that the individuals, who have voluntarily made great contributions to the wild animal preservation, have never got support from the State.

In fact, Nguyen Van Luc has been given financial support to preserve genes of some wild animals. However, there are not many such cases like Luc’s.

Cuong has also urged state agencies and experts to think about whether to encourage the model of animal breeding.

It is clear that breeding wild animal for commercial products has become a new job which can help many local residents get rich.

Duong Quoc Hung, a farmer, who has been breeding wild animals, said that it always requires thorough research and experimenting to find out the optimal breeding process. Therefore, breeders always have to spend a lot of money on the research, while they cannot get any profits from the breeding.

The owner of a wild animal farm has also said that precious animal breeders do not want to contact state agencies, because they know they will not get anything when returning animals to the agencies, while they will get fat money when selling the animals.

The farmer said that it’s necessary to encourage to farm wild animals, because this will help ease the hunting for wild animals

Dr Su also said that in principle, people are not allowed to breed precious animals, because this is the job of experts who have good conditions to do this.

However, he thinks that it would be better for researchers to cooperate with people.

SGTT