• About 120.000 independent wildlife records, including 09 Annamite endemics and 22 non-endemic but highly threatened species.  
• The 21 sites surveyed show globally significant biodiversity but are also highly depleted. No medium or large carnivores and herbivores recorded, due to the intensive snaring and habitat loss over the last decades.  
• Strengthening enforcement, reduction of snaring associated with Rewilding programmes are needed to restore key species, to increase wildlife populations to the healthy levels that are needed to maintain and restore Viet Nam’s forest ecosystems. 

Ha Noi, 4th November 2025 - The results of Viet Nam’s largest and most comprehensive systematic camera trap survey bring both hope and urgency for the country’s biodiversity. The survey, conducted across 21 sites nationwide, reveals that in 16 of them, the richness of mammal and ground-dwelling bird species is increasing, a promising sign of ecosystem recovery. However, persistent threats, particularly snaring, continue to threaten these fragile gains, underscoring the urgent need to strengthen and scale up collective conservation efforts. The findings of this landmark survey were presented at the Applied Conservation Technology Congress (4-6 November) in Ha Noi, with 450 attendants worldwide. 

Viet Nam’s forests are among the most biodiverse in the world, yet their rich wildlife has long been under threat from habitat loss, degradation, and unsustainable hunting through snaring. To understand the country’s forest ecosystems and trends of its wildlife populations, over the course four years, systematic camera-trapping surveys across 21 Special-Use (SUFs) and Protection Forests (PFs), capturing data from more than 350,000 camera-trap days.   

Led by WWF-Viet Nam and WWF-US under the USAID Biodiversity Conservation project, in collaboration with local forest management boards and the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, the survey provides valuable insights into changes in mammal and ground-dwelling bird populations and the effectiveness of ongoing conservation efforts that aim to reduce threats to biodiversity. 

The survey documented at least 49 mammal species and 11 galliform bird species, including nine Annamite endemics and 22 globally threatened species. Among the most remarkable findings were confirmed records of the large-antlered muntjac, sun bear, and large-spotted civet — some of the few sightings of these species in Viet Nam over the past two decades. Encouragingly, pangolin occupancy increased in many sites, particularly in Cat Tien National Park. Overall, species richness increased significantly at 16 sites, with no site showing a decline.  

However, the absence of medium or large carnivores (such as tigers, leopards, clouded leopards, Asiatic golden cat and dhole) and herbivores (such as the Saola) highlights the long-lasting impact of historical snaring. Most recorded species were resilient to high levels of hunting pressure. Data also indicate that many species had higher occupancies in remote and difficult-to-access areas.  

The 2024 survey builds upon the baseline survey conducted between 2019 and 2022, allowing comparisons to track biodiversity trends over time. The findings contribute directly to national and international biodiversity monitoring indicators and inform adaptive management strategies for protected areas. 

“Viet Nam’s forests remain home to globally important wildlife. The encouraging signs of recovery show that nature can bounce back when given a chance. But lasting recovery will depend on sustained collaboration—between government levels, communities, and conservation partners—to end snaring and ensure these forests continue to thrive for generations to come,” said Nguyen Quang Hoa Anh, Biodiversity Expert, WWF-Viet Nam  

The report calls for repeating biodiversity surveys every three to five years to ensure long-term, science-based monitoring of Viet Nam’s wildlife and to meet national and international conservation commitments. Due to the complexity of implementing the surveys and analysing the data, it is recommended that the government mandate one or more national research institutes to oversee the national monitoring surveys in SUFs and PFs in the future. 

It also highlights the urgent need to consider implementing rewilding programs to restore key species to sites where they have been lost and supplement populations where they already occur, increasing wildlife populations to the healthy levels needed to maintain and restore Viet Nam’s forest ecosystems.