Endangered king cobra

Three years after a deadly virus struck India's endangered Asiatic lions in their last remaining natural habitat, conservationists are hunting for new homes to help booming prides roam free. The majestic big cats, slightly smaller than their African cousins and with a fold of skin along their bellies, were once found widely across southwest Asia. Hunting and human encroachment saw the population plunge to just 20 by 1913, and the lions are now found only in a wildlife sanctuary in India's western Gujarat state. Following years of concerted government efforts, the lion population in Gir National Park has swelled to nearly 700, according to an official census last year. But just three years ago, the conservation success looked to be in danger when several lions started to die in one part of the 1,400 square kilometre (545 square mile) forest. The canine distemper virus -- a highly infectious disease -- was detected among dozens of the royal beasts, killing at least 11 of them. … [Read more...] about India’s endangered lion prides conquer disease to roam free

Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong offered incense in commemoration of late Vietnamese Kings, heroes, martyrs and those who rendered their services to the nation at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in the capital city of Hanoi on February 17. Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong and other leaders offer incense to late Vietnamese Kings, heroes and martyrs (Photo: VNA) Accompanying the leader were Politburo member and Secretary of Hanoi’s Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue; and Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Chief of the Party Central Committee’s Office Le Minh Hung, among others. The top leader reaffirmed the determination to promote the heroic tradition of Thang Long - Hanoi and noble values of the nation, strengthen the national great solidarity bloc, and build a wealthier, more democratic, equal and civilized country. He expressed his hope that the Party Organisation, authorities, army and … [Read more...] about Top leader offers incense to late Kings, martyrs at imperial citadel

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc pays tribute to King Quang Trung at the temple dedicated to the King at Dong Da Mound in Hanoi (Photo: VNA) Hanoi, (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on February 15 offered incense in tribute of King Quang Trung at the Dong Da Mound in Hanoi, a special national relic site which reportedly witnessed one of the most famous battles in Vietnam’s history of fighting invaders. An annual festival is held at the relic site on the fifth day of the lunar year to mark the Dong Da-Ngoc Hoi battle between King Quang Trung’s troops and Chinese Qing invaders in spring 1789. The battle smashed the intention to occupy Vietnam of the Qing dynasty. King Quang Trung (1753-1792), whose real name is Nguyen Hue, was the second king of the Tay Son dynasty of Vietnam, reigning from 1788 until 1792. He mastered the Tay Son army’s speedy operation from Phu Xuan (Hue) to the north to defeat 20,000 Qing aggressors and liberate Thang Long citadel in 1789. This year, due … [Read more...] about Prime Minister pays tribute to King Quang Trung

Authorities in the southern province of Binh Phuoc have detained a Vietnamese man for illegal wildlife hunting and trafficking, according to VietnamPlus . Ton Tan Tai was busted when Bu Dop District's forest rangers and officers from Dac Huyt Border Guard Station caught him illegally transporting wild animals during a night patrol. Authorities seized five dead primates during the arrest. The Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources has identified the animals as black-shanked douc langurs, an endangered species protected by Vietnamese and international laws. At the station, Tai claimed to have crossed into Cambodia on July 23 to hunt wild animals. He managed to shoot five primates and was smuggling them back to Vietnam for sale. Authorities are still investigating the case. Black-shanked, red-shanked and grey-shanked douc langurs are native to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Their populations had dropped by 50 to 80 percent over … [Read more...] about Vietnamese poacher nabbed for hunting, trafficking endangered primates

Time’s running out for the Mekong giant catfish Vietnamese restaurants are openly violating the law to include a critically endangered giant catfish on their menus.. 'There has never been a year like this' Turns out the deadly floods and intense heat of the last few months are just part of a big bleak picture. US publisher buys rights to Vietnamese book on deadly sea battle with China The book about the battle that saw 64 Vietnamese die defending Spratly reefs from China will be distributed worldwide in English. Big 3 bottled tea makers in Vietnam strike it rich Together, they have almost 90 percent of Vietnam’s growing ready-to-drink (RTD) market share. Vietnam railways caught between a rock and a hard place It needs to replace thousands of coaches and a hundred locomotives, but the one-meter track system itself is outdated. … [Read more...] about Weekly roundup: Endangered Mekong, Spratly battle book, Saigon sewer heroes and more