A local purveyor of illegal wildlife, Tu Loan, has again escaped criminal prosecution in Vietnam’s Lam Dong province.
Although she could have faced seven years in jail or $26,000 in fines, Tu Loan got away with a paltry fine of just $7,200 — despite the fact that more than 300 kg (661 pounds) of illegal wildlife meat, along with live animals, were seized from her restaurant in a 2010 raid.
Charges were dropped, due to a “lack of evidence”.
According to Thanh Nien Daily, Tu Loan told a reporter (who posed as a potential restaurant client) last week that she could provide “wild-caught civet, porcupine, wild pig and deer” — and even bear bile.
In 2011, she offered rhino horn to an undercover reporter — US $5,000 for one hundred grams — saying she would have a friend get the rhino horn.
I used to trade in it, but it has become scarce in the past three years.
Some conservationists believe that Tu Loan, and others involved with wildlife trafficking in Vietnam, enjoys a “cozy relationship” with local officials.
Nguyen Dinh Xuan, a former lawmaker and the director of a national park in the southern province of Tay Ninh, told Thanh Nien that “wildlife restaurants are just packed with state officials and rich people”.
He says that Vietnam has wildlife protection laws, but they lack enforcement.
Vietnam doesn’t need more directives aimed at protecting wildlife. We just need to walk the talk.
Scott Roberton of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) would like Tu Loan’s case to be re-opened. He said via Thanh Nien that Lam Dong authorities should “carry out further investigations and make an example of her network and expose the protection she appears to have in the government agencies”.
Tu Loan also owns a zoo, which she allegedly uses to launder rare and protected species for her restaurant.
Image: Brian Dell via Wikimedia Commons
Rhishja Cota
I am the founder of Annamiticus and I have been researching and writing about wildlife trafficking issues since 2009. I also founded World Pangolin Day in 2012. I am the author of USAID Wildlife Asia's Pangolin Species Identification Guide: A Rapid Assessment Tool for Field and Desk. I co-facilitated and was a presenter at the USAID Wildlife Asia Pangolin Care Workshop. At the 4th Regional Dialogue on Combating Trafficking of Wild Fauna and Flora, I facilitated the species roundtables on pangolins. I have trekked with forest rangers in Cambodia, journeyed to the streets of Hanoi to research the illegal wildlife trade, and to the rainforests of Sumatra and Java to document the world’s rarest rhinos. At CITES meetings, I collaborate with colleagues from around the world to lobby in favor of protecting endangered species. I hosted the Behind the Schemes podcast and am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine. I enjoy music, desert gardening, herping, reading, creating, and walking with my dogs. Check out my t-shirts and stickers at snoots + teefers.