Captive wildlife management survey in Vietnam, 2015–2021

Abstract

In Vietnam, breeding and raising a wide range of wildlife species in captive wildlife facilities (CWFs) are common practices but little information on the captive wildlife population is available. We conducted surveys and developed software to create a captive wildlife facilities management (CWFM) system. This database provides up-to-date information on the distribution of CWFs, the number of species, and individuals according to the level of protection outlined by the government and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) categories. CWFs were located in all provinces and regions, but differed in distribution, number of species and individual animals. The Mekong River Delta region recorded the highest number of CWFs (35.3%) and the highest number of animals (43.1%). In 2021, 95 species belong to the highest level of protection group were being raised at 1824 CWFs; 137 species in 4554 CWFs in CITES appendix II, appendix III, government list IIB; and 139 species in 1499 CWFs belong to the common wildlife. The overall number of CWFs in 50 provinces decreased by a negative compound annual growth rate of −7.2%. However, it is crucial to continue to monitor the changing dynamics to assess the risks of disease transmission from zoonoses originating from wildlife. We recommend periodic compulsory reporting of CWF activities using the CWFM system.