The carcasses of nine tigers that had been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade in the north-central Vietnamese province of Nghe An last year will be exhibited at a museum in Hanoi.

The Vietnam National Museum of Nature, located in Hanoi’s Cau Giay District, received the nine carcasses on Wednesday and is planning to put them on display for research purposes.

The nine tigers were among a group of 17 big cats that had been illegally bred in two houses owned by 40-year-old Nguyen Van Hien and 51-year-old Nguyen Thi Dinh in Nghe An Province before they were busted in August 2021.

Following the bust, the 17 tigers were transported to an ecological area for temporary care, assessment, and an investigation.

Unfortunately, nine of the rescued tigers later died of unknown causes. 

The remaining eight are still in good health and currently living at the Hanoi Zoo in Ba Dinh District.

In March, the People’s Committee of Nghe An imposed two seven-year and 30-month jail terms on Nguyen Van Hien and Nguyen Thi Dinh for violating regulations on the protection of endangered, precious, and rare animals, respectively.

Since the beginning of this year, wildlife protection NGO Education for Nature – Vietnam (ENV) has recorded at least four tiger seizures in localities across the country where the initial testimonies of the suspects all showed that the tigers originated in Nghe An.

“Illegal tiger farming and trade have taken place for a long time in Nghe An,” said Bui Thi Ha, deputy director of the ENV.

"It has not only affected the image of the province but also caused negative international assessments of Vietnam’s efforts in fighting wildlife crimes."

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