Vietnam hands over 56 rhino horn DNA samples to South Africa

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the CITES Management Authority of Vietnam (Vietnam Administration of Forestry ) in collaboration with the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources held a  handover of 56 rhino horn DNA samples to South African Embassy in Haoi on June 1st.

Combating illegal wildlife trade in general and rhino's parts in particular is of special concern of Vietnamese legal agencies.

In recent years, Vietnamese police and customs investigated many cases of  illegal rhino horn trafficking trade, arresting and prosecuting a big number of smugglers. In which there were two cases in 2020 including the seizure of  93kg of rhino horn at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in December 22, 2020  and the seizure of 7.8 kg of rhino horn at Van Don International Airport in December 12, 2020.

The handover of rhino horn samples to South Africa is a part of Vietnam's responsible implantation implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) including Resolution Conf.9.14 on the Conservation of and trade in African and Asian rhinoceroses. It also demonstrates the closed cooperation between Vietnam and the Republic of South Africa in combating illegal wildlife trade," said Pham Van Dien, Deputy head of the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST)

"The fact that Vietnam hands over rhino horn samples to CITES Management Authority of South Africa today via South African Embassy in Vietnam is a concrete evidence that the two countries share the common commitment on combating illegal wildlife trade.

In fact, the activity will contribute to the protection of the big mammals ensuring that our next generations have opportunity to see these wonderful animals on earth", South African Ambassador in Vietnam MK Lekgoro said.

The handover of the DNA samples from the country where rhino horns are seized to the country where rhinos live will help the authorities in both Vietnam and South Africa trace origins of smuggled rhino horns in the market. Thanks to that, those involving poaching, trading, transporting and importing in the illegal supply chain can be found and arrested .