6 endangered hog deer released into wild at Vietnam national park

The release was carried out overnight on Thursday and into the early hours of Friday by Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Ho Chi Minh City in coordination with the national park.

The first group comprised four females and two males.

A Saigon Zoo representative said the reintroduction will be carried out in stages to monitor how well the animals adapt to life in the wild.

Once the first group has settled in, additional releases will follow to complete the plan of reintroducing 30 deer, including 22 females and eight males.

Veterinarians closely supervised every stage of the operation.

Before transportation, each deer underwent a health assessment and received sedatives and supportive medication to minimize stress during the long journey from Ho Chi Minh City to Cat Tien National Park, approximately 150 kilometers away.

After sedation, the animals were carefully placed into specialized transport crates lined with straw.

Cold water bottles were also placed inside the crates to help regulate body temperature during transport.

Each deer was implanted with an electronic identification microchip before release.

The chips will allow conservationists to monitor the animals' movements and survival after they return to their natural environment.

The release took place at night to minimize disturbance from light, noise, and human activity, reducing stress as the animals entered their new surroundings.

Nguyen Thanh Nhut, deputy director of Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper that returning animals to nature is one of the highest goals of conservation work.

"People working in conservation always hope to eventually return to nature what belongs to nature," Nhut said.

He added that hog deer were no longer recorded in the wild in Vietnam.

Research and assessments by scientists had identified the animals being cared for and bred at the zoo as belonging to the Indochinese population of the species.

Cat Tien National Park, meanwhile, has been assessed as having suitable habitat conditions for the reintroduction program.

According to Vietnam's 2023 Red Book, hog deer (Axis porcinus) are classified as critically endangered and are also listed in Group IB under Circular 85 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, a category covering rare and endangered species given priority protection.

The reintroduction program is being carried out through a scientific cooperation agreement between Saigon Zoo and Cat Tien National Park.

Under the partnership, the zoo provides expertise in animal care, breeding and population management, while the national park is responsible for forest protection, habitat management, and monitoring of the natural ecosystem.

Nhut said the return of the deer to the forest was expected to help restore the species' wild population.

However, he emphasized that the first group's ability to adapt and survive would be an important basis for deciding how to proceed with subsequent releases.

Established in 1864 and opened to the public in 1865, Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens is home to more than 2,000 animals representing 135 species.

The zoo also maintains more than 2,500 trees and conserves over 900 plant species.

Cat Tien National Park, meanwhile, covers more than 82,000 hectares and is recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

In 2024, it became the first national park in Vietnam to be included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas.

The park is home to extraordinary biodiversity, including more than 1,700 animal species and 1,600 higher plant species, many of which are listed in Vietnam's Red Book of endangered species.