Conservation breeding

Conservation breeding is one of the key approaches to protecting endangered wildlife species. At Save Vietnam's Wildlife, we develop healthy breeding populations to conserve genetic diversity and support the recovery of wild populations whenever conditions allow.

©SVW
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Why is conservation breeding necessary?

SVW prioritizes conservation breeding for endangered species that are at high risk of extinction and are not common in ex-situ conservation facilities. Conservation breeding aims to ensure the survival of a species in the event of fluctuations that lead to extinction in the wild, while also facilitating rewilding and supplementing natural populations. Currently, the Conservation Breeding program is being implemented by SVW for two species, the Owston's civet and the Chinese pangolin, under cooperation agreements with Cuc Phuong National Park and Pu Mat National Park.

To date, SVW is the pioneering organization in developing strategies and plans for the conservation breeding of Owston's civets and pangolins in Vietnam, and is the primary organization responsible for implementing these strategies.

Number of individuals in the program

(*) Data as of December 31, 2024

Chinese pangolin

13

Owston's civet

48
(*) Data as of July 2026

Goals

Establish a population of 25 pairs of Owston's civets and 20 pairs of Chinese pangolins in ex-situ conservation breeding facilities in Vietnam before beginning rewilding efforts to restore wild populations.
We aim to begin reintroducing Owston's civets into the wild by 2030, in accordance with the goals of the 2019-2029 Owston's Civet Conservation Strategy.

Facilities

SVW is partnering with Cuc Phuong National Park to build a dedicated 1.3-hectare conservation breeding facility for Owston's civets and golden pangolins. To date, the following infrastructure has been completed:
2
Office, storage, and food preparation area
2
+
Biosecurity facility meeting One Health standards
27
+
Owston's civet enclosures
16
+
Chinese pangolin enclosures

We need your help and partnership

We hope to receive support from the community, organizations, and businesses to fund the construction of 34 breeding enclosures for Owston's civets, 10 enclosures for Chinese pangolins, and additional housing for successful offspring born in 2024-2025.

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