Keeping 'Paradise' for Wildlife

Uncover Cat Tien National Park, a true 'wildlife paradise' where you can spot hundreds of gaur, deer, and rare nocturnal birds. Get our updated tips for the ultimate night safari tour and an unforgettable visit to Bau Sau!

Some say it's a unique twist of historical fate, but many believe that the existence of Vietnam's wildlife paradise at Cat Tien National Park today is entirely due to the ethics and character of its forest guardians.

It takes true determination and support for transparency to preserve, on the winding banks of the Dong Nai River, about 150 km from Ho Chi Minh City, a "wild realm" as vibrant as an "African wildlife world" – Cat Tien National Park (covering 75,000 hectares across the three provinces of Dong Nai, Binh Phuoc, and Lam Dong).

One Night, Nearly a Hundred Deer with Eyes Bright as Stars

One night in December 2023, Mr. Pham Xuan Thinh, Director of Cat Tien National Park, assigned forest ranger Le Duc Khanh – a young man from a large family working in forestry – to lead us on a "wildlife spotting" tour. The open-top truck, capable of carrying up to thirty visitors, was filled with absolute silence. No one was allowed to use flashlights or phone lights to illuminate anything, to avoid startling the animals. Only Khanh skillfully swept his light across the tree canopies and grasslands. Sometimes, a crested nightjar would dart out onto the road, fluttering mysteriously over our heads. Look, a black-naped oriole, golden-yellow and soft as a ball of cotton, was tucked into its own wing, sleeping soundly on a moss-covered tree branch. Over there, several Hainan blue flycatchers, with purplish-blue heads and velvety smooth feathers, huddled together for warmth in their deep slumber, sheltered by the broad leaves of the lush tropical forest, as the rainy season hadn't quite ended in South Cat Tien.

Journalist Do Doan Hoang at Cat Tien National Park.

The hoot of an owl echoed through the ancient forest, sometimes mournful, sometimes a muffled thud, as if evading our search. Oh my, what's that with reddish-purple eyes sparkling in the distance? A male crested nightjar. Its eyes "caught" the light, as if "dazzled," gazing curiously into the distance, not bothering to fly away as we approached quite close. Its eyes were perfectly round. Khanh explained that they had to choose the right type of light, recommended by wild bird conservation experts. The light needed to be sufficiently yellow, soft, and bright enough not to disturb this beautiful nocturnal bird. We were also "polite" to it, so it wouldn't be scared, and perhaps we could "meet again" in this corner of the forest next time.

In the past, Vietnamese people often believed that owls, especially barn owls (belonging to the owl family, with calls resembling a pig's squeal), were harbingers of bad omens, signaling death, misfortune, or illness. But today, especially since the introduction of adorable owl images from Western books and films, bird enthusiasts and wild nature explorers have grown to love the beauty and mystery of owl species. In Cat Tien, my friend Nguyen Manh Hiep captured a stunning Oriental bay owl (a fish owl). Forest barn owls, collared scops owls, crested nightjars…

Khanh and I approached, with the most modern camera on the market, one click producing 30 high-quality shots, "snapping" softly. The crested nightjar looked bewildered, then suddenly, as if waking from a dream, it flew away. The startled cry of a forest barn owl echoed from the lush canopy of an ancient tree. The flashlight stealthily illuminated it. Its eyes, catching the beam, glowed a deep red. This incredibly sensitive "night assassin," with large, clear, cat-like eyes, when illuminated, appeared like two glowing embers, its ears perked up just like a curious kitten.

A "wild realm" as vibrant as an "African wildlife world" in Cat Tien National Park.

Out there, for an hour, we saw lights shining like fallen stars along the cogon grass slopes. Herd after herd of deer appeared. The male deer, in their mating season, had reddish musk glands on their necks (surely very fragrant, though we were too far to smell it). One deer, soaking wet, had just emerged from the mud, while a mother deer led her fawn, trotting out and looking curiously towards the light. Several muntjacs (also known as barking deer) and a couple of graceful mouse-deer weaved through the cogon grass.

Suddenly, a wild ox, then another gaur, moved silently and darkly through the night. Civets were countless. Many birds, animals, and nocturnal species appeared. But the most abundant sightings were still during the daytime.

Mr. Tang A Pau, who has spent nearly two decades photographing wild nature, is still passionately creating at over 70 years old and is particularly dedicated to exposing environmental destruction networks. Mr. Pau spent six continuous months photographing in the "African wildlife paradise" – Cat Tien National Park. With a special permit to drive his pickup truck into the forest, he captured heartwarming photo collections of various birds, owls, peacocks, and wild animals (gaurs, elephants, wild oxen, yellow-cheeked gibbons, black-shanked douc langurs, Indochinese silvered langurs, wild boars, deer, porcupines, muntjacs…). This is likely the only place in Vietnam where it's not too difficult to encounter and photograph large herds of gaurs.

Visitors can take a boat tour of Cat Tien National Park.

Thanks to his deep passion and dedication to Cat Tien's nature, Mr. Tang A Pau was awarded the title "Knight of the Green Forest" by the then-Director of the park, Mr. Pham Hong Luong. The ceremony was solemn, and Vietnamese media reported on it with respect. Photographs by many artists passionate about wild nature (such as Mr. Pau, Mr. Nguyen Manh Hiep, etc.) have been elegantly printed in large format by the park management, displayed in visitor reception halls, on tourism promotion posters, and even in accommodation rooms named after elephants, bears, rosewood, red wood, green peacocks, etc., within the park. This is a very effective way to spread love for nature.

While once considered harbingers of bad omens, owls are now greatly admired by bird enthusiasts and wild nature explorers for their mysterious beauty.

The Valiant Battle of the Forest Knights

The respectful attitude of the Board of Directors, staff, and forest rangers of Cat Tien National Park towards the values of the natural treasure they manage has played a crucial role in honoring and spreading awareness of these wonders. You will surely feel as though you are in a pristine "Garden of Eden" – something rare in the world and even rarer in Vietnam – especially when we are accustomed to visiting national parks and only seeing people, restaurants, and trees, rarely encountering magnificent ancient trees, and even less often seeing wild animals freely grazing and foraging. Just ask yourself, is there anywhere else in Vietnam today where, on a single night's flashlight tour, you can encounter around a hundred deer, as well as gaurs, wild oxen, civets, various birds, snakes, and owls?

Another remarkable highlight is the bird species in Cat Tien National Park. I myself have photographed wild peacocks performing exquisite dances, mysterious nocturnal owls, and rare birds that international visitors eagerly seek, such as pittas and red-faced partridges. Cat Tien National Park also boasts the most bird photography sites in Vietnam for a special-use forest: with 6 sites! In contrast, other national parks considered popular with tourists and "fertile green lungs" like Bach Ma, Ba Vi, Tam Dao, Pu Mat, Con Dao, Yok Don, etc., have no dedicated bird photography sites!

A statistic officially reported by experts and the press states: Out of over 900 recorded bird species in Vietnam, Cat Tien National Park is home to more than 400 species. This means approximately over 40%, nearly 50% of Vietnam's bird species, converge in Cat Tien. If you walk 5 km along the paved path to the internationally important wetland area (honored under the Ramsar Convention), you will encounter countless birds and animals: flamboyant male peacocks performing mesmerizing dances, owls hooting dreamily, and birds filling the sky with vibrant colors. Notably, Bau Sau is home to the largest population of wild freshwater crocodiles in Vietnam. Six hundred swamp predators swim and hunt; by day, they lie with open mouths basking in the sun, and at night, they swim with splashing sounds, and a flashlight beam reveals thousands of eyes sparkling like scattered stars...

A herd of wild boars in Cat Tien National Park.

To preserve such a thriving community of birds and animals, reminiscent of classic "African wildlife" images – still existing in the third decade of the 21st century – the forest protection forces at Cat Tien National Park, across many generations, have truly ventured forth and "fought" with immense courage against the cunning schemes of poachers. Over 90 km of the Dong Nai River encircles the forest area, with residential clusters on the other side, allowing boats to "start their engines for just a minute" and infiltrate the park. Therefore, raising awareness, setting examples, deterring, and educating the local communities (across all three provinces) to collectively take pride in and protect the "wild realm of Cat Tien" is the crux of the matter. The vast forest has "entrances" everywhere, the ranger force is too thin, their means of transport and support tools are quite basic, making the confrontation with poachers incredibly challenging.

In this context, only genuine public ethics and authentic efforts can protect the forest and its soul (wildlife) as they are today. Mr. Pham Hong Luong, former Director of Cat Tien National Park, used his personal platform and the image of his family's "traditional" work in nature conservation, upholding the supremacy of green, to spread the precious values of Cat Tien's wilderness. The current Director of Cat Tien National Park, Mr. Pham Xuan Thinh, whenever dealing with cases involving guns, pepper spray, sharp knives, and clubs used to brutally attack rangers, and confiscating evidence such as traps, weapons, and many recently killed rare animals, would send us photos with a heavy heart. Once, he exclaimed: "It's too painful, journalist!"

Of course, the more fiercely and bravely forest rangers protect the forest and combat acts of destruction and the killing of rare wildlife, the more vulnerable they become to attacks by criminals. At Cat Tien National Park, in 2023 alone, there were two brutal assaults on rangers within just three days in March. Specifically, on March 2, 2023, nine rangers on patrol discovered a group of poachers hunting and killing many wild animals such as wild boars, deer, mouse-deer, civets, etc. As they proceeded to handle the situation, the perpetrators aggressively used homemade guns, pepper spray, knives, and large wooden clubs to repeatedly launch brutal attacks. Three rangers were seriously injured, including Deputy Station Chief Pham Ngoc Tuan, who suffered numerous bruises and bleeding on his chest, neck, mouth, and nose, with a particularly severe injury to his left cheekbone. Mr. Chiu Van Hai and Mr. Luong Van Bao also sustained serious injuries. Subsequently, six poachers were arrested and detained by the Tan Phu District Police (Dong Nai), and a criminal case was initiated, with charges filed against the suspects. Three days prior, on the evening of February 28, 2023, Mr. Vu Manh Cuong, from Da Bong Cua Forest Ranger Station, Cat Tien National Park, was on duty when he was brutally assaulted by 5-6 young men and had to be hospitalized at Cho Ray Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City) for extended treatment.

Exquisite nature, when protected and its value fully realized, is not merely a resource of large trees containing many cubic meters of expensive timber; it's not just rare, large animals… it is also a beautiful and affectionate living space that nurtures our souls and heals all our wounds. It serves as an irreplaceable "visual aid," helping to shape character and foster compassion within each of us. The forest is a shield, a miraculous common home that shelters and embraces this world.

Living Museums of Magnificent Ancient Trees

The museum of ancient trees at Cat Tien National Park can leave anyone awestruck. Here, ancient Tung trees, over 400 years old and more than 40 meters tall, have trunks so massive it would take 20 people to embrace them. Their roots spread out like prehistoric dinosaurs, crawling across dozens of meters of the old forest. Over there, a precious and rare ancient Red Sandalwood tree, scientifically dated to be over 700 years old, has a trunk diameter of up to 2.5 meters. In the late 1980s, Comrade Pham Van Dong, then Prime Minister of Vietnam, visited this "magnificent ancient tree" and offered valuable advice on forest protection efforts in Cat Tien's precious natural treasure. Moved by this sentiment, local officials and residents erected a sign, created a path, and named it a "heritage tree": "Uncle Dong's Red Sandalwood Tree."

We arrived at the Hundred-Trunk Banyan Tree, traversing enchanting forest paths, as if lost in a paradise of flora. Many young people were camping and having parties by the cool, clear stream. There, the banyan tree completely covered the stream and both banks, stretching for hundreds of meters. Not far away stood a cycad tree several centuries old; the six-branched Lagerstroemia tree, the elephant-shaped Lagerstroemia tree, and the uniquely gnarled Lagerstroemia tree – all magnificent, having withstood the test of time for over 300 years. The Luc Giao Banyan (meaning six ancient trees growing with intertwined branches and leaves) had branches and roots swirling together, forming a colossal archway, making one ponder the intricate artistry and ingenious design capabilities of nature...

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Update day : 14/02/2024