Wildlife conservation: [2] Revival in the heart of great forest

Amid the vast primeval forests of Kon Ka Kinh National Park, people quietly carry out a special mission day and night: rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing rare wildlife back into the great forest.

Persistently protecting wildlife

Currently, Kon Ka Kinh National Park has nine forest protection stations spread across key areas. In addition to forest patrol and management duties, these stations also promote communication activities to raise public awareness about wildlife conservation.

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Wildlife conservation: [1] Persistent issue of illegal hunting

Each month, the stations coordinate with the Forest Environmental Education and Services Center to conduct at least one outreach session in buffer-zone villages. The content focuses on disseminating legal regulations on the management and protection of wildlife, while also encouraging local communities not to hunt, trade, or illegally keep rare and endangered forest animals in captivity.

In particular, authorities pay special attention to engaging households engaged in business and trade in buffer-zone areas to reduce the risk of illegal wildlife consumption. As a result, public awareness has gradually improved, and many households have voluntarily handed over wildlife to authorities rather than continuing to keep or trade it illegally.

Alongside outreach efforts, forest protection stations work with contracted households to regularly conduct patrols and dismantle animal traps in the forest. As of May 2026, the authorities had confiscated around 500 traps of various types.

In addition to direct patrol activities, Kon Ka Kinh National Park has also applied technology in wildlife management and protection through a camera-trap system installed in many key areas. These silently operating cameras deep in the forest have captured valuable images of wildlife in their natural habitats, supporting research, conservation, and population monitoring.

As of May 25, the Rescue, Conservation and Biological Development Center under Kon Ka Kinh National Park has rescued and released 65 individuals of endangered and rare wildlife back into their natural environment, while currently caring for nearly 29 other animals, such as deer, sambar, gibbons, and macaques.

Mr. Tran Van Thu, Director of the Rescue, Conservation and Biological Development Center, said: “The animals are usually evidence items and often arrive in a highly stressed condition due to prolonged captivity or injury. We must care for and treat them until their health stabilizes before they can be released back into the wild.”

Mr. Tran Van Thu said that about 80% of the animals received were voluntarily handed over by local people. This is a positive sign showing that community awareness of wildlife protection is gradually improving in a more positive direction. The remaining 20% are exhibits from violations transferred by enforcement authorities.

According to Mr. Tran Van Thu, the center currently has only six staff members, including two veterinarians directly responsible for wildlife rescue and care. Although human resources remain limited, the rescue team continues its work with the hope of giving animals a chance to return to the wild.

Each rescued animal undergoes health monitoring, medical treatment, and rehabilitation to restore natural behaviors. For individuals that have been kept in captivity for long periods, the work is even more challenging, as they gradually lose their survival instincts.

Center staff also train the animals daily to relearn natural foraging behaviors and, importantly, survival reflexes, ensuring that once released, they can quickly adapt to the wild environment. In addition, before any release, staff conduct field surveys to carefully assess terrain and habitat suitability, ensuring that the release site matches each species’ feeding and living habits.

For example, otters must be released in areas with large streams where they can easily find food, while monkeys and gibbons need to be returned to areas with wild troops so they can integrate socially. The ultimate goal is not only to return animals to the forest, but to ensure their long-term survival in the wild.

Protecting the green gem of the Central Highlands

Mr. Tran Van Thu said that among the 65 endangered and rare animals successfully rescued and released back into the wild are species such as the Java pangolin, pygmy slow loris, Central Annam leaf turtle, and golden mountain turtle. These are highly valuable species for conservation, listed as endangered in both Vietnam and global conservation systems.

“For those working in wildlife rescue, the moment of seeing animals return to the forest always brings special emotions. The conservation mission at Kon Ka Kinh National Park becomes even more meaningful as it is considered one of the most valuable remaining primary forests in the Central Highlands,” he shared.

It is also known that all wildlife at the center are strictly monitored by veterinary staff before release, with feeding and care regimens carefully designed to match each species’ natural behavior. The ultimate objective is to ensure they are fully capable of adapting to natural conditions before being returned to the wild.

Kon Ka Kinh National Park covers an area of nearly 42,000 hectares, stretching across several localities in Gia Lai Province, of which more than 39,300 hectares are natural forest. In 2003, it was recognized as an ASEAN Heritage Park.

Not only rich in plant resources, Kon Ka Kinh National Park is also home to nearly 880 animal species. Among them are 16 rare and endemic species such as the Central Annamese red-shanked douc langur, grey-shanked douc langur, Truong Son muntjac, and the Kon Ka Kinh laughingthrush. This bird species was discovered in Asia within the past 30 years.

In addition, the park is also a conservation site for 47 animal species listed in the Vietnam and global Red Data Books.