Vietnam: Handling of cases where endangered, precious and rare forest animals harm or threaten to harm people's life and property

- Where endangered, precious and rare forest animals attack and threaten to harm the life of people outside special-use forests, and after all measures of driving away such animals have been applied but in vain, these cases should be reported in writing to presidents of People's Committees of districts, provincial towns or provincially-run cities (called district-level People's Committees for short) for consideration and decision on permission for trapping or hunting such animals for self-defense and protection of people's life.

- For particularly precious and rare animals such as elephant (Elephas maximus), rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), tiger (Panthera tigris), leopard (Panthera pardus), nebulose leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), bear (Ursus (Helarctos) malayanus; Ursus (Selenarctos) thibetanus), gayal (Bos gaurus), gray gaur (Bos sauveli), Javanese gaur (Bosjavanicus), owre (Bubalus arnee), presidents of provincial-level People's Committees should be reported for consideration. Where it is impossible to apply other measures (driving away or moving them to other forests) to protect people's life, presidents of provincial-level People's Committees shall decide to permit the application of measures of trapping or hunting for self-defense after obtaining consent of the Agriculture and Rural Development Minister and the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry.

According to Decree No. 32/2006/ND-CP of Vietnam’s Government, organizations assigned to trap or hunt endangered, precious and rare forest animals for self-defense when such animals attack and threaten to harm people's life shall be responsible for keeping intact the scenes and make written records for handling and reporting to immediate superior authorities within 5 working days.

- Where trapped or hunted forest animals die or are incurably wounded, written records thereon shall be made for handover of such animals to scientific research institutions for use as specimens in service of training and research or for hygienic cull.

- Where trapped or hunted forest animals are curably wounded, they shall be transferred to forest animal salvage establishments or local forest ranger offices for care until they recover and are released into forests.

- Where trapped or hunted forest animals are in good health, they shall be promptly released into forests planned as special-use forests (nature conservation zones, national parks) where their habitats exist.

All cases of trapping or hunting of endangered, precious and rare forest animals in contravention of the provisions of this Article shall be regarded as violating the State's regulations on management of endangered, precious and rare forest animals and handled according to current provisions of law.

View more details at Decree No. 32/2006/ND-CP of Vietnam’s Government, effective from April 20, 2006.

- Thuy Phu -

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE