VietNamNet Bridge - After a 13-year-old boy in Tho Xuan district of Thanh Hoa province was clawed by a tiger raised at a tiger farm, wildlife conservationists urged better control over development of tiger breeding facilities.


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On May 28, 2017, after the academic year ending ceremony, Mai Van Chien and two classmates visited tiger farms in Xuan Tin commune of Tho Xuan district. 

When the two boys climbed the wall to see the tigers, one of the tigers clawed Chien’s leg, damaging muscles and blood vessels. Chien was brought to the Thanh Hoa General Hospital. However, as he was seriously wounded, he was later taken to the National Institute of Burns for treatment.

After a 13-year-old boy in Tho Xuan district of Thanh Hoa province was clawed by a tiger raised at a tiger farm, wildlife conservationists urged better control over development of tiger breeding facilities.

The tiger farm where the accident occurred is owned by Nguyen Mau Chien, 48. The man began breeding tigers in 2006.

In early 2008, the Thanh Hoa provincial authorities released a decision on allowing Chien to breed 12 tigers for the purpose of conservation research. 

One tiger reportedly died in December 2008. Meanwhile, the number of tigers at the farm has remained unchanged since then (no newly born or dead tigers).

However, ENV (Education for Nature – Vietnam), which keeps watch over the tiger breeding at the farm, has collected proof showing that identification characteristics of the tigers have changed.

Meanwhile, on April 27, 2017, the police discovered a wildlife trafficking ring, seizing 36 kilos of rhinoceros horn, 2 frozen tiger individuals, 3 lion skins and many other products made of wildlife.

Bui Thi Ha, deputy director of ENV, said traffickers admitted that the two frozen tigers were from the farm of Nguyen Mau Chien.

EVN has reason to believe that Chien’s tiger farm serves as a unit to disguise his activities of trading and trafficking tigers and other wildlife species, while it doesn’t serve ‘conservation’ as requested by Thanh Hoa provincial authorities.

In early May 2017, EVN sent a dispatch to the Thanh Hoa People’s Committee, asking it to instruct relevant agencies to strengthen inspection and supervision over the tiger farm.

A report released in 2007 showed there were five licensed privately run tiger breeding facilities, and the figure had increased to 13, not including zoos and wildlife rescue centers put under state management.

There are still no regulations about conditions for tiger farming and about punishment on violators. Local authorities find it difficult to control tiger breeding. As a result, many people have exploited licenses for breeding tigers to carry out wildlife trafficking.


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