The animal is listed among rare and valuable animal species in need of protection 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 Pangolin Conservation Programme (CPCP).
The otters were confiscated from an illegal trader when he was transporting them in Nam Dinh City during the night of November 15 thanks to joint efforts between 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 were in quite good condition with no injury and will be given medical checkups and taken care of at the centre’s quarantine enclosures.
According to the SVW, the number of Asian small-clawed otters in Vietnam is decreasing rapidly due to illegal hunting and trade and loss of habitats. The animal is hunted for their fur or for keeping as pets.
SVW is a national non-profit organisation in Vietnam that was founded in 214 on the critical need for more effective solutions to secure a future for Vietnamese wildlife. At the core of SVW’s programme of work in Vietnam is a collaborative partnership with Cuc Phuong National Park to support the management and operation of the CPCP.
SVW is actively engaged in supporting the confiscation of wildlife from the illegal trade, rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing animals into suitable and secured habitats that support conservation of wild populations.
