Wildlife center to take in four rescued wallabies

On Monday, La Van Toi, director of Hoang Lien Wildlife Rescue, Conservation and Development Center said that the center had completed the procedures to take in the four wallabies and were waiting for the Cao Bang Forest Protection Department to do a species assessment.

The center already had a barn, which is being renovated to be suitable for the wallabies. The barn is about 200 square meters, half of which is outdoor and the rest an area with roof. In the near future, a number of miniature landscapes and caves will also be added to help the wallabies have a place to shelter and avoid the cold.

Toi believes that the cost of food for the four wallabies is not too high, because they mainly eat vegetables, which are readily available in the town of Sa Pa.

"This wallaby species in Cao Bang is a new breed, so we will raise them and at the same time with researching, learning and getting advice from experts and international animal organizations," Toi said.

Hoang Lien Wildlife Rescue, Conservation and Development Center was established in 2014, with a total area of 29.6 hectares, 3 km from the center of Sa Pa.

Currently, the center takes care of about 30 species with more than 100 individuals, 80% of which are listed as endemic species in Vietnam, the rest are exotic species such as alligator snapping turtle and red-eared turtle.

Four wallabies were rescued by rangers in Thach An District, Cao Bang last week. They were dropped along the Vietnam – China border by smugglers when discovered by the authorities. Each wallaby weighs 8-10 kg and is in healthy condition.

Experts say wallabies, also known as mini kangaroos, are originated from Australia. An adult wallaby weighs about 30 kg, with its body length including tail at 1.8 m.

The four wallabies are being kept at the Thach An District Forest Ranger Department.