The photo taken is an important indicator for the ongoing conservation efforts being made in what has been ranked as one of the richest spots in the world in terms of biodiversity.
This is the second time an image of the Asiatic black bear was captured by the Worldwide Fund for Nature's (WWF) camera trap since December 2012.
The Asiatic black bear is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red list of Endangered species. In Vietnam, hunting, farming and trading of these species is illegal.
The WWF, in partnership with the provincial governments of Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue, have been carrying out one of the most ambitious conservation plans in the region’s history. And indicators, such as the photos taken by camera traps seem to indicate that these efforts have been successful so far.
“They are species affected by illegal hunting, which we’re trying to mitigate. Their existence is also dependent on good quality forest. I believe that these photographs are very important monitoring indicators of our conservation impacts,” said Phan Tuan, Head of Quang Nam provincial Forest Protection Department.
Together with the camera traps, which are used to track wild animals in their natural their habitat, WWF and local governments also have introduced a progressive forest guard model where local people are employed and comprehensively trained in law enforcement, patrolling, detecting and removing snares, dismantling illegal camps used by poachers and loggers, and stopping or detaining poachers and loggers when possible. Thanks to these efforts, more than 35,000 snares have been removed from this sensitive area since the beginning of the project.
To directly reduce human effects on local forest, WWF’s programmes are also targeting alternative livelihood options by educating local people in sustainable forest management.
The Asiatic black bear is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red list of Endangered species. In Vietnam, hunting, farming and trading of these species is illegal.
The WWF, in partnership with the provincial governments of Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue, have been carrying out one of the most ambitious conservation plans in the region’s history. And indicators, such as the photos taken by camera traps seem to indicate that these efforts have been successful so far.
“They are species affected by illegal hunting, which we’re trying to mitigate. Their existence is also dependent on good quality forest. I believe that these photographs are very important monitoring indicators of our conservation impacts,” said Phan Tuan, Head of Quang Nam provincial Forest Protection Department.
Together with the camera traps, which are used to track wild animals in their natural their habitat, WWF and local governments also have introduced a progressive forest guard model where local people are employed and comprehensively trained in law enforcement, patrolling, detecting and removing snares, dismantling illegal camps used by poachers and loggers, and stopping or detaining poachers and loggers when possible. Thanks to these efforts, more than 35,000 snares have been removed from this sensitive area since the beginning of the project.
To directly reduce human effects on local forest, WWF’s programmes are also targeting alternative livelihood options by educating local people in sustainable forest management.
