Antwerp Zoo in Belgium has officially announced its participation in an international effort to reintroduce the Vietnamese pheasant into its natural habitat. As part of this initiative, Antwerp Zoo will contribute to two juvenile pheasants and conduct genetic research to ensure genetic diversity within the reintroduced population.
The project aims to establish three self-sustaining populations of the Vietnamese pheasant in central Viet Nam's forests, allowing them to thrive without human intervention.
For the past 25 years, there have been no recorded sightings of the Vietnamese pheasant in the wild. In 2024, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified the species as "Critically Endangered, Possibly Extinct in the Wild" in its Red List.
The last time a White-crested Pheasant was seen in the wild was in 2000. Source: Hoang HienApproximately 1,000 Vietnamese pheasants are being raised in zoos worldwide, offering hope for conservation and reintroduction efforts. Viet Nature, a non-governmental organization, has established a breeding center near a nature reserve where the species was found. This center will receive pheasants from participating zoos and implement community education programs.
The reintroduction of the Vietnamese pheasant is part of a broader international conservation program involving numerous organizations and experts worldwide. With global and local collaboration, there is hope that this rare bird can recover and return to its natural habitat.
As a rare and iconic species of Viet Nam's ecosystems, the Vietnamese pheasant faces extinction due to habitat loss and poaching. Urgent conservation efforts are crucial to ensuring itsurvival.