Bison, pelicans discovered in central provinces

Quang Binh (VNA) - Bison have been snapped by camera traps set up by the Viet Nature Conservation Centre in the central province of Quang Binh.

Director of the Viet Nature Conservation Centre Le Trong Trai said the images were captured in Le Thuy district.

Local residents in Kim Thuy commune in the district reported seeing a group of three bison grazing near Bang stream. Witnesses said there were two mature animals and a calf. The mature ones are nearly double the size of a cow.

Conservationists in the Bac Huong Hoa Nature Reserve reported finding bison footprints in the area. They also said the footprints belonged to three bison.

The area, including Bang stream and adjacent Nuoc Trong stream in Quang Binh, is said to be rich in biodiversity. Rare animals, including the Truong Son muntjac and Vietnamese pheasant, have also been found there.

The bison species, listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is endemic to India and Southeast Asia. A mature bison can weigh more than a tonne.

Meanwhile, pelicans with GPS devices attached to their feather have been found in the provinces of Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue.

Rangers in Trieu Phong district in Quang Tri have reported they are taking care of a 9-kg pelican handed over by local fishermen. The fishermen caught the bird while fishing at sea. The pelican will be released after the rehabilitation process.

Earlier last week, the department of environmental protection in Thua Thien-Hue released two brown pelicans that they rehabilitated beforehand into the wild. The pelicans were caught by local farmers when the birds, which had GPS devices, were wandering around local paddy fields.-VNA