In recent times, the ENV Club in Da Nang under the Education for Nature - Viet Nam (ENV) has organised many exhibitions with the themes “Monkeys belong to nature”, “I don't want to be a rhinoceros anymore”, “Save the tigers”, and “Bear bile is not a miracle drug” in order to prevent the use of drugs derived from wildlife, and the illegal wildlife trade and captivity.

The exhibition “Animals are not medicine”, organized by ENV Club Da Nang, helps young people raise awareness of wildlife protection. Photo: H.V

Established in 2014, the ENV Club in Da Nang now has nearly 80 volunteers. Through each term, the club attracts many members from faculties of universities citywide and maintains annual communication activities to raise awareness of wildlife protection.

At the same time, the club conducts surveys of business locations suspected of violating wildlife laws to notify the authorities. Over the years, the club has been coordinating with local authorities to successfully rescue and return wild animals to the natural environment.

Le Phuong Thao, a student of the Viet Nam - Korea University of Information and Communication Technology - the University of Da Nang, who is the Head of ENV Club Danang, expressed that in order to maintain its effective operations, the club has organised many exhibitions with many topics at universities in the locality.

Most recently, at the Student Science Conference on Nature Conservation jointly organised by the University of Education and Science and the Viet Nam Wildlife Action Centre (WildAct), the club hheld an exhibition entitled "Animals are not medicine". The event aimed to provide knowledge and images about the decline in such animals as tigers, bears and rhinos, and about high risks of disease transmission from hunting and trading activities.

The club, thereby, hopes that people will change their perceptions and habits of using drugs derived from wild animals. Aside from providing information, the exhibition also encouraged young people to sign a commitment to protect wildlife to receive gifts such as books, notebooks, and bookmarks about wildlife.

Visiting the exhibition "Animals are not medicine", student Le Nguyen Anh Thu from the University of Education and Science confided that the event helped Thu realise the importance of protecting wildlife. Also, she was provided with information about medicinal products from wildlife currently sold on the market. Thu hopes that the message of protecting wildlife will widely spread so that everyone can change their behavior and awareness to protect the existence and sustainable development of species.

This year, the club has hold three similar exhibitions, including an exhibition on the harmful effects of feeding monkeys.

According to Thao, this exhibition is a coordinated activity with the Management Board of Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang Tourist Beaches to promote monkey protection, and encourage not to feed monkeys and warn about the forthcoming consequences.

“I always feel nervous and scared as participating in a survey of an animal captivity site because there are cases of violations that have recurred and these locations are often well-fortified, so they are quite dangerous. However, I consider it both a challenge and a motivation to complete the task and notify the authorities for handling. ENV hopes that each individual will be a warrior to protect nature and wildlife,” Thao confided

Accompanying the ENV Club over the years, student Pham Minh Cong from the University of Science and Technology - the University of Da Nang, former Head of the ENV Club in Da Nang, shared that the club always plans and successfully implements activities to protect nature and wildlife.

In 2023, the club won the first prize in the contest "Learning about nature conservation and wildlife in Viet Nam" organised by the Office of Cooperation of the Faculty of Biology - Environment at the University of Education and Science, and the Frankfurt Zoological Society of Viet Nam in collaboration with a group of students from the Viet Nam primate conservation training course.

Reporting by HUYNH VU – Translating by M.DUNG, V.DUNG