Only several rhinos are living in the Cat Tien National Park.

VietNamNet – The practice of eating beast meat in Vietnam is quickly stripping the country of its endemic species, all in the name of human vanity and prestige.

For every two residents of Hanoi, one has eaten food products made from wild animals. Commensurate with wealth, so too increases the frequency of ingestion and the rarity of the beast on the platter. Eating wild animals has long been held as being beneficial to the health, but of late has become symbolic of the status and prestige of state officials and businessmen.

Such are the alarming results of a survey by TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network, which went door to door on over 2,000 households in Hanoi.

The study, the first undertaken in this manner, points out that most Hanoians are unaware of basic regulations for the protection of threatened species and their living environments in Vietnam.

Most of the respondents understand the concept of extinction, but still believe that animals and plants are becoming rare due to hunting and loss of habitat. They believe that eating wild animals as specialty dish, or use them in tonics or as jewellery is somehow unrelated to the threat of extinction.

A clear trend emerged through the survey that the wealthier people are, and the higher the position they hold, the more common the use of wild animals. Less than 3% of people with monthly income less than VND1mil (US$62.5) purchased specialties made of wild animals, while the percentage rose to 64% for people earning VND1-5mil/month.

University-graduates accounted for 39% of people consuming wild animals, compared to 6% of lower education levels. The percentage of people using products made from wild animals and plants who were state officials and businessmen was alarmingly high, as they consider eating wild animals as an necessary declaration of their status.

Ignoring legal bans of use of beast meat and other products, many people still seek out tiger bone balm, bear bile or rhino horn for disease treatment, or simply to decorate their house. The survey shows that Vietnamese public awareness and understanding of protecting wildlife is very poor.

“Many species of wild animals consumed in Vietnam are named in the list of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) that Vietnam joined in 1994,” said Sulma Warne, coordinator of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.

“Consumption of wild products has become serious in recent decades, as the living standards of the people improve, so too does the level of damage to the ecological system, wildlife and environment,” said Mr. Warne.

The above survey is part of the Danish-funded project called “Changing behaviour, reducing consumption of products made of wild fauna and flora in Hanoi”, which is being carried out from 2005 to 2007.

Along with the survey, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Indochina and TRAFFIC have launched a contest for television advertisements from now to May, open to all high-school students in Hanoi. Contestants must explain their ideas for a 30-second clip, which highlights the slogan “Don’t exchange the natural life to satisfy your need”.

The best three ideas will be produced and run as public campaigns. The producers of the winning ideas will have the chance to participate in a film production course in June, taught by American tutors. After the course, they will select actors and shoot the film themselves. The three advertising clips will be broadcast on VTV in 2007.

A hot line has been established at the Hanoi Ranger Department for people to report illegal trade in wild animals.

At universities, the WWF will organise clubs and forums to raise awareness about the consumption of wild animals.

“There is no place where wildlife populations are reducing at such an alarming speed as in Vietnam, all by illegal trade and consumption,” said Eric Coull, chief representative of WWF Greater Mekong.

(Source: VNE)