Preserving the ‘treasure’ of primeval forests in the Central Truong Son area

Located adjacent to the Vietnam – Laos border area, Sao La Nature Reserve in Thua Thien – Hue province is the common roof of many rare and precious species of flora and fauna, especially the survival space of saola – one of the most important species in the world. The rarest animal species in the world, living in the mountains and forests of Vietnam.
At Sao La Nature Reserve, Thua Thien – Hue province, the forest protection work in recent years has always been strictly implemented, contributing to minimizing the invasive impacts of humans on nature.

Forest patrols With an area of ​​more than 15,000 hectares, Sao La Nature Reserve in Thua Thien-Hue province has a rich flora and fauna, containing a diverse genetic resource of more than 1,200 species of animals and plants. Up to now, the reserve still retains a large area of ​​tropical evergreen closed forest, which is home to many rare species of birds and animals. From the center of the mountainous district of A Luoi, drive on the Ho Chi Minh route to the south about more than 30 km, when going through the tunnel through A Roang mountain, it is a majestic and unspoiled scene of primeval forests. Sao La Conservation Area, Thua Thien – Hue Province. The reserve covers an area of ​​more than 15,000 hectares of natural forest, stretching across the two districts of Nam Dong and A Luoi, directly connected with Sao La Conservation Area in Quang Nam Province and Xe Sap National Reserve in Laos. Sao La Nature Reserve in Thua Thien – Hue province currently has three patrol teams and five forest protection stations, which are regularly mobile to perform forest protection tasks. Following in the footsteps of a five-man patrol team led by Mr. Pham Viet Nuoc, we walked along the slopes, crossing streams under the canopy of old forests straight into the core area of ​​the reserve. This patrol is expected to take about six days to travel, so the backpacks of team members are full of essential equipment and items such as navigators, camera traps, binoculars. , personal items, medicine, pots and pans, food… Sticking with Sao La Nature Reserve in Thua Thien – Hue province from the very beginning, 11 years ago, Mr. Pham Viet Nuoc, a Ta Oi ethnic, set foot in most of the sub-areas in the reserve. this vast expanse. For Mr. Nuoc, the reserve is like his second home, he has the ability to read the names of each big tree in the forest; even a glimpse of a bird singing, he could tell what kind of bird it was. After finding a convenient location by a small stream, the patrol team assigned each other to set up a tent to rest and cook. Pham Viet Nuoc confided that this patrol job requires not only good health, but also forest skills and above all a love of nature to stick with the job. On average, a patrol team will work 22 days a month in the forest, of which 16 days are camping in sub-areas in the reserve. “The mountainous terrain in the reserve is very dangerous, with many dangers lurking for forest protection teams, especially in the rainy season. There are many cases of brothers and sisters with serious and life-threatening injuries due to sudden broken branches on them, biting by poisonous snakes, or in the process of crossing streams, when suddenly the water from upstream suddenly surged. Pham Viet Nuoc shared. Giant Truong Son at Sao La Nature Reserve, Thua Thien-Hue province. Recently, Sao La Conservation Area in Thua Thien – Hue province has contracted with A Luoi District Medical Center (Thua Thien – Hue) and Tay Giang District Medical Center (Quang Nam) to identify 4 rescue locations. fixed along the Ho Chi Minh route through the nature reserve, so that when an injured person comes out from the forest, ambulances will go straight to these locations to give first aid and take people to the hospital for treatment. timely treatment. On the patrol journey, Mr. Pham Viet Nuoc and members of the team stopped at many areas to observe and detect the traps of wild animals of the people to remove and collect. According to Mr. Nuoc, in the past, the number of animal traps that people put in the forest was as much as a “matrix”. Especially near the New Year holidays, people still have the custom of trapping wild animals to eat, that is also the time when patrol teams have to strengthen their duty force. According to the Management Board of Sao La Nature Reserve, Thua Thien – Hue province, from 2014 to 2017, the situation of trapping wild animals in the reserve was really a problem. In some years, the forest patrol force has dismantled more than 21,000 traps of all kinds. In recent years, thanks to the promotion of propaganda combined with the detection of strict handling of violations, the number of animal traps has decreased significantly. Since the beginning of 2021, patrol teams have driven 11 people out of the forest, dismantled 14 illegally built camps and collected more than 1,740 animal traps. After being dismantled, the animal traps will be returned to the stations for destruction according to regulations. Preserving the “treasure” of the green forest Sao La Nature Reserve in Thua Thien – Hue province is one of the places with the highest biodiversity in the region and in the world. This place owns the remaining natural primeval forest area of ​​the Central Truong Son area and is home to rare and endemic animals such as saola, Truong Son muntjac, large muntjac, striped rabbit and many more. other animals and plants. According to the Management Board of Sao La Conservation Area in Thua Thien – Hue province, recent research results show that the reserve currently has 1,035 species of plants, 42 species of mammals, 139 species of birds, 54 species of fish, 84 species of reptiles, frogs, frogs and 284 species of butterflies. In which, many species are listed in the Red Book of Vietnam and the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to Mr. Pham Viet Nuoc, in recent years, during the patrol process, the number of animals has increased significantly such as chamois, wild boar, deer, zebra rabbit, Truong Son large gill and some species of wild animals. growth such as monkeys, douc langurs… This is a great joy for the tireless efforts of those who are directly involved in forest maintenance and biodiversity conservation here. Mr. Nguyen Huu Hoa, an officer of the Forest Management and Protection Department (the Management Board of Sao La Nature Reserve, Thua Thien – Hue province), said that with the support of technology, especially the application of the camera trap system in the forest is being developed. promote efficiency, effectively support the management and scientific research on the development and distribution of animals in the conservation area. In the past time, the camera traps have provided many valuable documentary images to record the presence of animals and the most important goal of these camera traps is to record the saola in the area. conserve. The saola, whose scientific name is Pseudoryx khetinhensis, also known as the “Asian Unicorn”, is one of the rarest mammals in the world. Monkeys at Sao La Nature Reserve, Thua Thien-Hue province. Director of Sao La Conservation Area Management Board in Thua Thien-Hue Province Nguyen Thanh said: The unit has cooperated with many wildlife protection organizations to research and search for traces of saola species in the reserve. such as placing photo traps at locations where mondo grass grows and develops, because this is a “favorite” dish of saola; collect samples of strange animal feces or take samples of species squeezed in the forest for scientists to conduct tests and find clues… According to Director of the Management Board of Sao La Conservation Area in Thua Thien – Hue Province Nguyen Thanh, located in the same habitat area, in 2013, Sao La Conservation Area in Quang Nam Province recorded a saola by photographing a single individual. shock the scientific research and nature conservation circles at home and abroad. Therefore, officers and staff of Sao La Nature Reserve in Thua Thien – Hue province hope to also discover saola in the reserve in the future. In recent years, Sao La Nature Reserve in Thua Thien – Hue province has invested and equipped many modern machines to help patrol teams improve operational efficiency. Currently, forest protection officers only need to use smartphones to record patrol positions, locations with signs of forest encroachment, encountering animal traps, camps, encountering people entering the forest, etc. When there is a phone signal, this information and image will automatically be updated into the system, serving as the basis for the process of analyzing and processing information at the specialized department of the Management Board. Director of Sao La Conservation Area Management Board in Thua Thien – Hue province shared that the protection of primeval forests in the reserve still faces many difficulties and challenges. For example, the cutting of forest trees still occurs sporadically at some point in time, or the animal traps set up by people in the forest, although significantly reduced in number, have not been completely stopped… Therefore, the Maintaining forest protection patrols is important to minimize the negative impacts of humans on the forest’s ecosystem. The patrol team led by Mr. Pham Viet Nuoc as captain after many days of climbing passes, wading streams, “eating shacks, sleeping in the forest” has completed the task. According to Mr. Pham Viet Nuoc, after each trip, there is one more animal trap removed, by chance encountering wild animals, or simply seeing that the forest has not been violated, which is a joy and motivation for the members of the community. Team members overcome difficulties and dangers to stick with their work, contributing to preserving the “treasure” of the green forest for future generations.