Re-releasing the rare eagle in Cuc Phuong National Park

Previously, on March 13, Mr Nguyen Van Que, a resident of Mai Trung commune, Hiep Hoa district, Bac Giang province proactively contacted Cuc Phuong National Park. He asked for support and requested the Park to receive and rescue an eastern imperial eagle individual with the scientific name Aquila heliaca.

This is an extremely endangered and rare forest animal belonging to group IB on the list of endangered and rare forest animals according to Decree 84/2021/ND-CP dated September 22, 2021, by the Government, listed in the Vietnam Red Data Book and the IUCN Red Book.

After receiving the eastern imperial eagle, the Center for Rescue and Conservative Organism, Cuc Phuong National Park coordinated with a group of foreign doctors and experts: Professor, doctor Sander Obbink from the Netherlands working for Save Vietnam's Wildlife Organization in Cuc Phuong; Veterinarian Marc and Lesley Goelkel, a couple from Germany, working for the FourPaw Conservation Organization at the Ninh Binh Bear Conservation Facility. They conducted general examinations by taking stool and blood samples to test for diseases and parasites, X-rays, and ultrasound for in-depth examination.

The results showed that the animal had been shot before and there was still a bullet fragment still lodged in the chest muscle area, and the digestive system was also weakened. After a week of care and treatment at the Center for Rescue and Conservative Organism, Cuc Phuong National Park, the eagle progressed well and was eligible for release. On the afternoon of March 18, a rare eastern imperial eagle was released back into the natural environment at Cuc Phuong National Park.

Participating in re-releasing the eastern imperial eagle into the natural environment are the Cuc Phuong National Park rangers, Mr Nguyen Van Que (the person who handed over the eagle to the rangers), Cuc Phuong National Park scientists, experts, and doctors directly rescued the eagle. More specifically, it had the participation of Miss Universe Vietnam 2017 H'Hen Nie, currently an ambassador for the wild aid organization WildAid.