Nguyễn Thu Thủy rescues turtles in 2023. — Photo baovephapluat.vn

HÀ NỘI — Nguyễn Thu Thủy, a conservationist of the Asian Turtle Programme at Cúc Phương National Park, Ninh Bình Province, begins her day at 7am by inspecting every turtle and delegating chores to her staff teams.

During the breeding season, the animal care team will clean the enclosure, prepare and feed the turtles, and keep an eye on the eggs.

The medical assessment and care regimens for recently rescued or wounded turtles will be reviewed by the veterinary team.

“After that, we'll take care of the eggs in the incubator, inspect the egg incubator to see if any turtles have been hatched,” Thủy said.

Wild animal rescue staff at the Turtle Conservation Centre of Cúc Phương Park are busy, she said, adding that they have to work every day including holidays and weekends.

"The rescue operations are ongoing around the clock. When the staff learns about animals seized from the illicit trade, they make plans to depart at any time of day.

“We assist law enforcement agencies and partner units in identifying turtles for sale and providing guidance on temporary care plans while waiting for the rescue team to arrive. We also cooperate with domestic rescue centres and conservation areas to rescue animals and coordinate activities to release turtles into the wild," she told Bảo Vệ Pháp Luật (Law Protection) newspaper.

She said employees in wildlife conservation have extensive training and expertise. They are responsible for making sure the animals are fed and have access to medical treatment.

After nearly a decade of employment at the centre, Thủy said staying with her favourite species and being close to nature are a great joy to her.

She is surrounded by a group of coworkers that are committed to their jobs and constantly encourage one another. She sees them as fellow enthusiasts.

She is also lucky to be able to travel, share and study in many places to work more effectively. These are the driving forces behind her continued hard effort.

The Turtle Conservation Centre of Cúc Phương National Park is currently responsible for more than 2,000 animals including 24 native turtle species in Việt Nam.

The centre employs 14 staff members and two long-term international volunteers.

A wildlife conservationist cares two monkeys at Cúc Phương Park. — Photos baovephapluat.vn

Eighty percent of the staff members are from the local community living around the park while 60 percent of them are indigenous Mường ethnic people.

In addition to caring for and preserving precious and rare wild animals, the centre bears the vital duty of caring for and nurturing wild animals that are evidence of the violation cases.

When wildlife creatures are used as proof of violations, emergency rescues are frequently necessary and can occur at any moment. As soon as we receive the news, we will quickly determine the number of individuals of each species through images from the investigation agency and guide them through basic initial care steps to keep the animals stable while waiting for the rescue team to arrive, she said.

When the rescue team arrives to the evidence collection facility, they will inspect every turtle, give them food and drink, tend to any wounds and keep healthy turtles apart from sick ones to prevent cross-contamination, according to her, she said.

Staff will conduct health checks and arrange suitable cages for each species/individual. Rescued individuals are kept for a minimum of 90 days in the quarantine area for parasite removal, treatment, monitoring and special care, she said.

Risks on health

Nguyễn Tất Hà, a veterinary officer at Pù Mát National Park Wildlife Rescue Centre in central Nghệ An Province, has a special memory during his wildlife rescue journey.

When caring for a monkey over ten years ago, the animal grabbed, scratched, tore and damaged his arm, leaving significant scars that remain to this day.

"I just returned to work after a lengthy vacation. The animals had not been around me for a while, so they were not accustomed to me,” he said.

After 20 years in the field, Hà feels that caring for animals is similar to being an emergency physician in that it calls for commitment and rapid attention in order to treat animals that are in need of rescue.

The wild creatures that are brought to the centre have been malnourished, hunted, held captive and transported for several days, leaving them weak, hurt, or even dead.

No matter it is day or night, when they hear a phone call reporting injured or illegally trafficked wildlife being confiscated by the authorities and in need of assistance, they immediately arrive at the scene to promptly handle it professionally.

"Our joy is seeing the rescued animals being raised and cared for at this centre running, jumping and having fun every day, even though the work is challenging and demanding and the payment rate is not high.

“The greatest happiness for conservation workers like us is when each individual grows healthy and can return to its natural habitat,” he said.

Thủy from Cúc Phương National Park sent a message to the younger generation: “We are the reason why many wildlife species are threatened and hurt and we are the only ones to be able to make changes on that fact.

“The fate of wildlife species lies in the understanding and actions of each individual. Wildlife conservation is a journey that takes many years to see results. Hopefully the younger generation will be the ones who will continue to make changes and witness that positive changes.” — VNS