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Agence France-Presse

Four wallabies trafficked into Vietnam were on their way to a new home in a mountainous northern province on Friday, as wildlife experts called for tighter regulation of the exotic pet trade.
The animals – which are not native to Vietnam – were spotted hopping along in Cao Bang province, which borders China, earlier this week.
According to state news site VNExpress, the wallabies – which include three males and one female – were brought from Australia by traffickers.
They were most likely on their way to China, which has a huge exotic pet trade, wildlife trafficking experts said.
It is unclear whether they were released or escaped.
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On Friday, the marsupials – all of which are healthy and weigh between eight and nine kilograms – were travelling to their new home, the Hoang Lien Rescue and Conservation Centre in Lao Cai province.
“After arriving at the centre, the wallabies will be raised in a semiwild environment, with both indoor and outdoor areas,” said La Van Toi, director of the centre.
“We have veterinarians that will look after their health, and they will be fed with grass, vegetables and fruit.”
It is the second time this year that wallabies have been discovered in Cao Bang, according to Doug Hendrie, counter-trafficking director at the ENV Wildlife Conservation Trust.


In February, four wallabies, one of which was dead, were seized alongside other exotic species, he said.
“Both of these cases probably involved the trafficking of these exotic species to China. They do make reasonably good pets, they can be tamed,” he said.
However, he was sceptical the animals were sourced from Australia’s wilds, speculating instead that they came from elsewhere in Asia, where they may have been bred in captivity.
Vietnam too has a growing exotic pet trade, much of which is organised through social media.
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ENV says animals are being pulled from nature to meet the demand for “cute” pets, despite the species being undomesticated, unfit for captivity and their wild populations detrimentally affected and even threatened with extinction.
“There needs to be tightening of regulations concerning keeping these animals as pets,” Hendrie said.
ENV, a Vietnam-based organisation, says it receives reports from members of the public seeing macaques, turtles, otters, birds and other species at residences, business establishments, and online.


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Vietnam

4 wallabies seen hopping in Vietnam, likely trafficked for China market amid calls to curb exotic pet trade

Wallabies at a rescue centre in the Lao Cai province in northern Vietnam. Four wallabies trafficked into Vietnam are on their way to a new home. Photo: AFP

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People at the Aeon shopping centre in Ho Chi Minh City.  The cost of living in big cities is crushing young workers. Photo: Shutterstock

Workers leaving their workplace at Taiwanese Ty Hung factory in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: AFP

Garment factory workers making men’s suits in a factory in Hanoi. Photo: AFP

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The Malayan tiger subspecies is the national animal of Malaysia, appearing on the country’s coat of arms. Photo: Shutterstock

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Nine people have been arrested in Gansu province in a bid to crack down on the “dragon bone” trade and more than 400kg of fossils have been confiscated. Photo: Weibo

Local law enforcement in some remote parts of China are cracking down on the looting of “dragon bone” fossils. Photo: Wikipedia

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

The wallabies have reportedly been brought from Australia by traffickers and seen hopping in a Vietnamese province bordering China
Vietnam has a growing exotic pet trade like China, with macaques, otters and turtles among the species previously spotted by local residents


The marsupials have reportedly been trafficked from Australia and spotted hopping in a Vietnamese province bordering China.


Australia

Animals

4 wallabies seen hopping in Vietnam, likely trafficked for China market amid calls to curb exotic pet trade

The wallabies have reportedly been brought from Australia by traffickers and seen hopping in a Vietnamese province bordering China Vietnam has a growing exotic pet trade like China, with macaques, otters and turtles among the species previously spotted by local residents

The wallabies have reportedly been brought from Australia by traffickers and seen hopping in a Vietnamese province bordering China

Vietnam has a growing exotic pet trade like China, with macaques, otters and turtles among the species previously spotted by local residents