Vietnam - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 344

Many officials still turn a blind eye to the trade in wildlife for export and domestic con-
sumption, though laws are in place to protect the animals. Poachers continue to profit
from meeting the demand for exotic animals for pets and traditional medicines.
National Parks
There are 31 national parks, covering about 3% of Vietnam's total territory. In the north
the most interesting and accessible include Cat Ba, Bai Tu Long, Ba Be and Cuc Phuong.
Heading south Phong Nha-Ke Bang, Bach Ma National Park, Yok Don National Park
and Cat Tien National Park are well worth investigating.
RHINO HORN & VIETNAM
International pressure is growing. In 2013 the WWF and Traffic (the wildlife trade monitoring net-
work) launched a campaign in Vietnam to counter rhino horn sale and consumption, declaring that the
country needed to 'clean up its act'. Some Vietnamese still believe rhino horn can do everything from
increasing libido to cure cancer. Even the tragic news about the extinction of the rhino in Vietnam has
failed to curb domestic demand.
Vietnamese gangs have stolen antique rhino horns from museum displays across Europe, and pro-
voked a rhino poaching crisis in South Africa.
A media campaign was launched in 2013 to try to change mindsets and make the consumption of
rhino horn unacceptable. ENV (Education for Nature-Vietnam; www.envietnam.org ) is coordinating
the efforts. For more information consult Save the Rhino ( www.savetherhino.org ) and the Rhinose
Foundation ( www.rhinoseday.com ).