4 rare wildcats released into southern Vietnam forest

The release was carried out jointly by the park and Phat Quang Pagoda in Ca Mau’s Hiep Thanh Ward.

The four cats, scientifically known as Prionailurus bengalensis and classified as group IIB endangered species, weighed a total of about eight kilograms.

A representative from U Minh Ha National Park said the pagoda had received the cats months earlier from local residents who had purchased them from roadside traders.

After being cared for in an enclosed area designed to simulate natural conditions and surrounded by six-meter-high walls for safety, the animals were deemed healthy and capable of surviving in the wild.

Phat Quang Pagoda has worked closely with the Bac Lieu Bird Sanctuary and U Minh Ha National Park to rescue, rehabilitate, and release endangered species, contributing to biodiversity conservation in Vietnam’s southernmost region.

Since the beginning of this year, the park and local forest rangers have released several other rare species voluntarily handed over by residents, including a 5.6-kilogram Burmese python, a 1.6-kilogram monocled cobra, as well as Asian box turtles, yellow-headed temple turtles, and reticulated pythons.