Catch rare white pheasants when going to the fields

On the morning of October 11, Mr. Dieu, 54 years old, went to work in the fields in Huong Dai village, Vu Quang commune and saw a white pheasant so he took it home. Due to previous propaganda, he knew that this was a rare wild animal that needed protection, so he reported it to the local authorities for handling.

The commune police then coordinated with the Vu Quang Forest Ranger District to inspect, verify and receive this individual animal. The animal was handed over to Vu Quang National Park for care, rescue and release into the natural environment according to regulations.

White pheasant (Lophura nycthemera) is a bird of the pheasant family, distributed in the mountainous forests of Southeast Asia and China, with 15 subspecies. The adult male has white plumage, a black crest, a blue-black or white belly, and the female has olive brown feathers for life. Male bird size is 80-127 cm long, female bird is 56-71 cm long, weight 1-2 kg. Breeding season is from February to June, each clutch has 4-10 eggs.

According to Circular 27/2025 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, effective from July 1, white pheasants belong to the endangered, precious, and rare group and must be preserved on-site or transferred to a licensed facility to raise for research, conservation, and eco-tourism. Exploitation, farming and business activities must have legal origins and not harm natural populations. Commercial breeding only applies to the F2 generation that has been certified by CITES Vietnam.

Previously, Thai Khac Thanh, 45 years old, residing in Nghe An, was sentenced to 6 years in prison by the People's Court of Region 5, Hung Yen province, for violating regulations on the protection of endangered, precious, and rare animals by raising and selling white pheasants. On October 17, 2025, the People's Court of Hung Yen province held an appeal hearing, acquitting the defendant of criminal liability and additional fines, due to changes in legal policies that made the behavior no longer dangerous to society.

Duc Hung