Thanh Nien interviewers were asked to buy claws, tiger fangs, bear claws, bear bile, and rhinoceros by the personnel of Vuon Xoai Eco-tourism Area (Phuoc Tan Ward, Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai Province).
Wildlife jewelry is warmly welcomed.
At the end of 2022, while exploring the Vuon Xoai Ecotourism Area (abbreviated to VXR), the interviewers discovered a “weird” kitchen fashioned in the form of an animal blast furnace, surrounded by many dispersed bones. At a 5m distance, there is a vast collection of bones, including several long bone tubes with diameters larger than an adult thigh, as well as many heads, big horns, long… Based on the aforementioned hints and sources, the interviewers addressed the personnel of the Vuon Xoai Resort after being provided in the VXR with high cooking of wild animals.
Vuon Xoai resort personnel displayed bear bile (picture 1), rhinoceros (photo 2), and tiger’s fangs (photo 3), as well as tiger’s claws (photo 4)
On the afternoon of November 27, 2022, we encountered a man around 50 years old who identified himself as Ba Dua and had over 8 years of experience working as a horse breeder, renting horses at the Vuon Xoai Resort. Mr. Ba Dua carefully enquired about the interviewer’s identity and then offered to sell various types of claws, tiger teeth, bear claws, bear bile, rhinoceroses, tiger bones, and so on, with prices ranging from a few million to several million dongs.
We have reservations: “Are the products here of high quality? Where do they originate? “. Mr. Ba Dua authorized a million without hesitation: “The contents are pure. Tiger’s bone outside sells it unclean, but in here, when the tiger dies, it is prepared to perfection, and 20 VND is insufficient to sell.”
Mr. Ba Dua did not forget to brag about his more than 8-year tenure at the Vuon Xoai Resort, during which he witnessed the slaughter of several wild creatures, including tigers, lions, and rhinos. The animal is roasted when it dies. Mr. Ba Dua also advertises: “During the high cooking process, place the bones in a firewood pot and heat until soft and dissolved, then use a towel to comb and comb them, then continue to boil them dry like winning colored water. and then placed it in the mold “.
“Do you sell claws, tiger fangs, rhinoceros horn?” we inquired abruptly. According to Mr. Ba Dua: “Absolutely. I still have two tiger teeth for sale at 10 million VND each piece, one set of 24 bear claws at 7 million VND, and rhino skin for 10 million VND per tang.” Mr. Ba Dua offered to come the next day, seeing that we were still skeptical about the items recently advertised so that the respected and senior personnel who worked in animal care at Vuon Xoai resort could show us the “goods.”
Rhinoceros bone glue promotion
On November 28, 2022, at noon, we returned to the Vuon Xoai Resort, to the meeting location, to meet Mr. Ba Dua and a tiny employee named Hung. When Hung saw us, he swiftly dropped the haystack and hurried to interrogate: “Are you the police and rangers? Don’t trap me?!”
Hung pulled a plastic bag from his pocket and gently brought us to inspect it, glancing sideways and without noticing any outsiders. Observation reveals a firm, somewhat flexible block within the bag, compacted into a rectangular cake with a grayish-yellow hue and a little chill. Hung stated, “This is rhinoceros skin, priced at 10 million VND/100 grams, just removed from the refrigerator, because the skin would become flexible if left outside for an extended time.” There are also rhinoceros bones available for 14 million VND for every 100 grams. “This Bone glue is soaked in wine to help you sleep soundly, without headaches, and stay healthy. Soaking in water is analogous to washing rice in water “Mr. Ba Dua explained its application.
About the origin of this high rhinoceros, Hung and Mr. Ba Dua stated that if a rhino dies, certain personnel will peel the skin and boil it, with the reward being a little high-quality completed product. When we inquired whether we could buy rhino’s horn and tiger’s bone, Hung said, “Most of the rhinos in Vuon Xoai Resort are juvenile horns, not of excellent quality, and there are only a few remaining, but it’s not convenient to get them out.” Hung continued to pull out a nail the size of half an adult’s palm, with a sharp tip, which Hung claims is a tiger’s claw, valued at 7 million VND, and revealed: “I still maintain a lion’s claw at home.”
Mr. Ba Dua summoned a young guy on a motorcycle to the giraffe cage at 4 p.m. on the same day, presenting a package carefully wrapped in many layers of tape. As we opened the package, we were “stunned” to see two teeth the size of half an adult’s palm (approximately 15 cm). Mr. Ba Dua informed us that they are tiger teeth, priced at 7 million for every piece, 14 million per pair…
We accompanied the customer to order some bear bile, and Hung was taken by motorbike to the Vuon Xoai Resort’s front office area. As he arrived, Hung urged him: “Go in and follow him without telling him. Anybody who inquires is told that his brother is visiting from the countryside “. Hung entered the office and informed the receptionist that he wanted to purchase 10 ccs of bear bile for his brother to go back to his homeland for his ailing father. The female employee opened the refrigerator and brought out ten little bottles, which she delivered to Hung. Hung acknowledged that this was bear bile obtained three days earlier and stated: “Yeah, I took him to the honey shop. Vuon Xoai has never closed its doors, has a solid reputation, and charges 140,000 VND/cc”.
When asked about the technique of obtaining honey, Hung stated that there are around 40 bears in the VXR that take turns sucking nectar.
Hung’s nest is a wild animal nest, according to Hung. He must contact the honey-sucking crew to shoot anesthesia to obtain honey. During the year, around 40 bears will alternately suck nectar. Speaking of incidents while sucking bear bile, Hung stated that because he had a baby that was too big, the anesthetic shot was insufficient, so he stood and turned all day, couldn’t suck bile, or overdosed, the bear slept for a few days, stopped eating, and lost strength, or the injection did not reach the gallbladder and had to be withdrawn and re-injected many times…
After the recording, on November 29, 2022, the interviewers called Ms. D.T.NH (the investor of the Vuon Xoai Resort) to clarify some pertinent facts; she was set to meet with her on December 6, 2022. Nevertheless, when the interviewers arrived at the meeting location, the staff informed us that Ms. NH was not present. No answer, no answer after that, despite the interviewers’ continuous texts and phone calls.
(To be continued)
Introducing the lynx to the Vuon Xoai resort but failing to declare it
Mr. Nguyen Tuan Kiet, Head of the Bien Hoa City Forest Protection Department, said to the leader of the Dong Nai Forest Protection Department about the information that the interviewers Thanh Nien recorded during his work at Vuon Mango Park: “In the past, the Dong Nai Forest Protection Department has coordinated with the Environmental Police force of the Ministry of Public Security to inspect, detect, and sanction administrative violations of the Vuon Xoai Tourist Park for bringing.”
What if rare creatures, such as tigers and rhinos, die and are buried? Would they be dug up and cooked? “According to rules, when a wild animal dies, the owner of the confined business must notify the Forest Protection Department,” Mr. Kiet stated. Following that, the Forest Protection Department will work with the necessary departments to regulate the situation. Examine the cause of death while keeping a record of how the case was handled to track the number of herds or livestock rising or decreasing according to the list. The germs are then sprayed and buried by standards. Because Vuon Xoai has a big plot of land, it is constantly buried on the property. The Forest Protection Department was present to observe the burial while also filming, taking photographs, writing a comprehensive report, and completing the new assignment. We don’t know if they dug up anything or did anything once the crew returned.”
Mr. Kiet gave the following information concerning extracting and selling bear bile at this resort: “We have issued warnings and strongly outlawed such activity. If they did, they would undoubtedly do it quietly. As a result, we don’t know since it isn’t constantly present to keep an eye on it. Trading of animal parts and derivatives is prohibited. If it is discovered, the Forest Protection Bureau will recommend a legal solution”.
