Wild Welfare to help Vietnamese zoo directors raise animal welfare standards
Wild Welfare, an international zoo animal welfare charity, is visiting Vietnam in April to help zoo directors raise animal welfare standards in their zoos.
While many modern zoos and aquariums strive to be innovative, educational and inspiring for visitors, sadly many others fail as a commercial enterprise because of a lack of regulation, expertise, resources or community empowerment. It is not only very distressing for visitors to view animals suffering in inadequate, impoverished enclosures, but poor welfare also has drastic and long-lasting effects on the animals.
This is why Wild Welfare is working in partnership with key experts from the Southeast Asian Zoos and Aquariums Association (SEAZA) and the Vietnam Zoos Association (VZA), the Vietnam government and other NGOs in the region, to identify long-term solutions to increasing standards of captive animal welfare. This includes the institutional training and support in specific animal management care, and support of SEAZA to develop guidelines and direction on capacity development for their member facilities, which range over Southeast Asia.
In April, Wild Welfare will be providing an animal welfare assessment training workshop, kindly hosted by the newly opened facility, Vinpearl Safari and Conservation Park, on Phú Quốc Island. The safari park is home to many wildlife species from around the world and is owned by the VinGroup. Delegates from throughout Southeast Asia will be attending and the training will support both SEAZA and VZA to implement welfare assessment standards for their members.
Through these collaborative efforts, significant Southeast Asian individuals and zoo experts are championing better welfare practices for animals, which lead to many more successful facilities. Wild Welfare has also worked with captive wild animal rescue centres in Vietnam, that play a vital role in the conservation of endangered species by enabling the confiscation and accommodation of animals caught up in the illegal wildlife trade. Through educating the public on the importance of species and habitat conservation, these facilities are helping to change and improve public attitudes towards wildlife.
“We are excited to be in a position to support the Southeast Asian captive wild animal community and we appreciate all their continued support and enthusiasm to help raise the welfare standards for all the precious wildlife in the region,” says Georgina Allen, director of Wild Welfare.
“It is the first time SEAZA will set up the animal welfare framework for all its members with assistance from Wild Welfare. We commit to improving welfare standards in our zoological facilities for the benefits of people in general and for the animals in our care in particular. We also thank the Vinpearl Safari, one of our very active members for hosting this important event of SEAZA,” says Dr Phan Viêt Lâm, President of SEAZA.
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Notes to Editors
For more information or interview requests please contact Wild Welfare on communications@wildwelfare.org. Wild Welfare is a global organisation committed to improving animal welfare standards in captive wild animal facilities. Its mission is to partner with zoo associations, accredited zoos and aquariums, zoo professionals and leading international animal welfare organizations in identifying and improving the conditions of captive wild animals kept under circumstances of severe distress.
Wild Welfare was established in 2012 and has rapidly established itself as an internationally recognised hub in zoo animal welfare reform, forming effective collaborative relationships with a number of animal welfare NGOs, reputable universities and professional bodies.
Wild Welfare’s vision is to end the suffering of captive wild animals around the world and ensure that full and sustainable protection is given to all animals in human care.
