Vietnam is considered the 16th most biodiverse place on the planet. And yet, thanks to overexploitation, more than 29 animal species have already gone extinct with 530 more considered critically endangered. Intrepid Foundation partner Save Vietnam’s Wildlife is determined to change their fate.
As the sticky heat of Cuc Phuong National Park envelops me, I wonder if the large, hairy paws, each displaying five unmanicured talons, pressing on the glass ceiling above me are a manifestation of travel exhaustion.
The paws belong to an animal that resembles a cross between a large cat and a shaggy black bear, complete with a long bushy tail.
‘That’s Hoi An,’ Tran – my guide at Save Vietnam’s Wildlife Rescue Centre – says as he notices my confused upward stare. ‘What?’ I stutter without breaking my gaze, still questioning whether I’m hallucinating.
‘Hoi An. She’s one of our oldest animals at the centre. Come now – I’ll introduce you to her.’ He motions me to follow him outside where Hoi An’s enclosure, partly built above the tight walkway we were previously in, opens up to the outdoors.
A fresh breeze gives me a reprieve from the warmth and rustles the leafy trees around us as Tran acquaints me with Hoi An. I learn she’s a binturong, a large tree-dwelling mammal found in South East Asia – not the offspring of a cat and bear as I’d assumed, instead the relation to a civet. She’s been rescued from a private zoo.
‘People like to kill beautiful animals‘
As we get to know each other, Tran tells me he’s been working with Save Vietnam’s Wildlife for more than 15 years and has been working in Cuc Phuong National Park for a total of 25 – dedicating his entire career to wildlife rescue.
‘When I was young, my uncle was a hunter, and he gave me some turtles to raise as pets,’ Tran says. ‘I thought they were very cute when I was little, but when I grew older, I realised that if everyone kept wild animals as pets, there’d be no more animals in the wild.’
‘I knew I wanted to do something for the wildlife, so I went to study conservation,’ he continues.
Tran is part of a large team that includes conservationists and veterinarians at Save Vietnam’s Wildlife. With their help, over the last 10 years, the non-profit organisation has rescued over 4000 animals from captivity and trafficking, with their recovery rate increasing to 87 per cent in the last five years and a 60 per cent release rate.
They advocate for wildlife in several ways: rescuing and rehabilitating animals illegally traded on the black market, conservation breeding and research, protecting wildlife habitats and educating local communities about the importance of conservation.
‘Animals are beautiful, and people like to kill beautiful animals to get their skin or meat, and people also take wild animals as pets,’ Tran says.
He tells me that the rescue animals in their long-term care area at the centre are ‘ambassadors’ to the cause. Connecting travellers and local communities to the resident wildlife and sharing their stories raises awareness and educates people about conservation needs in Vietnam.
In 2025, Intrepid’s Classic Vietnam trip will give travellers the opportunity to meet these animals and their rescuers for themselves at the centre in Cuc Phuong National Park.
Pangolins, otters and leopard cats, oh my
As we wander around the sanctuary, home to the handful of native rescue animals, Tran explains why they couldn’t be released back to the wild due to extensive injuries or lack of survival instincts and reliance on humans. While all of the animals here are native to Vietnam, as a foreigner, I find them completely fascinating.
I find out more about Hoi An as we watch her saunter about her carefully thought-out enclosure. When Save Vietnam’s Wildlife rescued her from a Vietnamese zoo 14 years ago, she was severely overweight and unable to climb trees (something that should be natural to a binturong like her). Her long history in the zoo meant she couldn’t be released into the wild, instead, she leads the next best life here. She can now easily climb the trees in her enclosure.
Next up, we meet the leopard cats – cute, fuzzy critters high above us, slinked in the trees growing naturally in their enclosures. As their name suggests, they resemble a stunning leopard, yet they’re barely larger than a house cat.
As we follow the rocky path that winds through the sanctuary, two Asian small-clawed otters, Mila and Chan, race to meet us at the fence by their food bowls. They impatiently squawk in our direction. ‘They’re ready for lunch,’ Tran smiles.
Finally, we visit the pangolin enclosure. Pangolins – the most trafficked animal in the world – are prized in Chinese medicine. Vietnam is home to two species of pangolin, the Chinese pangolin and Sunda pangolin, both now critically endangered.
Tran tells me how the team has rescued thousands of these animals over the years, with more than 1200 successfully released into the wild. Those with extensive injuries can’t be released but are given a second chance here in a specially constructed enclosure with a 1.5-metre-deep base to allow the animals to burrow and dig as they would in the wild.
The majority of trafficked animals are dehydrated, nutritionally stressed, carrying diseases or suffering injuries from being trapped and hunted. ‘Some rescue centres often release animals directly back into the wild without rehabilitation or proper quarantine processes, which can pose a risk of disease infection to wild populations, and also humans,’ Tran explains.
Save Vietnam’s Wildlife teams take additional steps to ensure animals are safe and well, treating them at their two veterinary clinics in Cuc Phuong National Park and Pu Mat National Park. They’re then introduced to a semi-wild area where they’re carefully monitored before being released back into the wild – increasing their chances of survival.
Taking a stand for wildlife
As my tour of the centre draws to an end, we waltz back beneath Hoi An’s enclosure (to my dismay, I don’t catch a glimpse of her through the glass above this time), and we enter a building that houses their education hub.
Among the interactive displays, Tran tells me about the incident that inspired the work he’s most proud of. ‘We got a call from police. They were chasing traffickers with a truck carrying more than 200 pangolins,’ he tells me. ‘Because they ran from police, the truck crashed, and the animals were badly injured.’
In animal rescue situations, time is of the essence. Tran explains how red tape and formalities stalled their rescue mission by more than 24 hours, and sadly, many of the pangolins lost their lives as a result.
Unwilling to face another situation like this, Save Vietnam’s Wildlife set out to change the status quo and set up a rapid response team equipped to rescue animals and take them back to the centre for immediate veterinary care while formalities are being handled.
From significant changes like this one to small moments that make a world of difference to an animal’s life, this organisation and people like Tran are standing up for the wildlife who can’t speak for themselves.
In 2025, travellers can meet some of the resident rescued wildlife and get to know their carers on Intrepid’s Classic Vietnam trip. You can learn more about Save Vietnam’s Wildlife or make a donation via The Intrepid Foundation. See more of what’s new at Intrepid for 2025 with The Goods.
