Vietnamese children aged from 11 to 15 across the country have been invited to
take part in a drawing contest with the theme of the Javan rhino and other
endangered wildlife species.

Cat Tien National Park. (Photo: SGT)

Entitled Bau Vat Rung
Xanh (Jungle Treasure), the contest is aimed at raising awareness among children
and the public about the beauty and value of wildlife, and calls for actions to
protect endangered species so that they are not pushed to the brink of
extinction in Viet Nam.

The contest is also
designed to draw public attention to the plight of the critically endangered
Javan rhinocerous, one of the rarest mammals on earth, with only two populations
left in the wild – in Java, Indonesia, and Cat Tien National Park in the
southern province of Dong Nai.

However, it is thought
the last surviving Javan Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) or
one-horned Rhinoceros in Viet Nam was killed by poachers last year.

Co-organised by
Wildlife at Risk (WAR) – an organisation dedicated to protecting the
biodiversity of Viet Nam, and the children’s publication Khan Quang Do, the
contest will close on May 12.

Each contestant may
submit one entry accompanied by his/her explanation of the drawing’s meaning to
the contest.

According to WAR
director, Nguyen Vu Khoi, there is a big possibility the Javan rhinoceros is now
extinct in Viet Nam.

“This drawing contest
is an opportunity for us all to think and show our concern for the conservation
of endangered species.

We must act
immediately to save endangered animals from suffering the same fate as the Javan
rhino,” he said.

An awards ceremony is
set to be held on the International Day of Biodiversity, May 22.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News