French funds protect threatened oxen in Cat Tien National Park

(ĐN) - French Ambassador to Vietnam Jean Francois Blarel and his wife have paid a visit to Cat Tien National Park. The visit took place from June 30 to July 2, 2006. On this visit, he was accompanied by experts in project of protecting the genetic stock of Vietnam’s Asian wild oxen population. The project has been devised as a special means to protect the endangered beasts. It covers Cat Tien National Park in the southern Dong Nai province, Chu Mon Ray National Park in Kon Tum Province, Easo Nature Reserve and Yok Don National Park in Dac Lac Province, all in the Central Highlands. The project was initiated in June 2006 under the sponsorship of CIRAD (Centre de Cooperation. International de Recherche Agronomique pour le Developpement) and followed by three-year operation phase.

The result of the survey done in 21 zones of the park or one third of total area shows that Cat Tien National Park has about 80 subspecies of wild gaur, Director of Cat Tien National Park Tran Van Mui said. Consequently, it can be affirmed that Cat Tien National Park has the largest herd of wild gaur in Vietnam.

P.V – Hung Cuong