A silver pheasant handed over by a local resident to the Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department. Photo: Supplied

The Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department coordinated with the park to release species including the silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera), crested serpent eagle, spot-bellied eagle-owl, mountain hawk-eagle, wildcat, Burmese python, reticulated python, clouded monitor, water monitor, red pheasant, green pheasant, yellow-headed temple turtle, and Malayan box turtle.

Nguyen Cong Bang, deputy head of the department’s mobile forest ranger and fire prevention team, said most of the animals were voluntarily handed over by local residents.

After a period of care and rehabilitation, they were released back into the wild, he added.

Among the animals was a silver pheasant weighing 0.7 kilograms, classified as a rare and endangered species under Vietnam’s regulations. It was surrendered in August 2025 by a resident who found it in an empty land lot in An Phu Dong Ward and reported it to authorities.

A forest ranger releases a wildcat into U Minh Thuong National Park in An Giang Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Supplied

Ho Chi Minh City forest rangers and U Minh Thuong National Park jointly release wild animals back into nature. Photo: Supplied