Saving the extinct Vietnam pheasant

Vietnam pheasant at Prague Zoo, Photo: Václav Šilha

Hope for the return of the Vietnam pheasant (Lophura edwardsi) is provided by populations maintained in human care. Today, approximately one thousand individuals live in European zoos, forming the genetic foundation for a possible return into the wild. A key requirement for successful reintroduction is careful monitoring of the origin of each individual, to ensure a population free of hybrids. Prague Zoo, as the coordinator of the EAZA Ex situ Programme (EEP) and keeper of the studbook, has kept Vietnam pheasants since the late 1940s and has successfully bred almost two hundred chicks.

Prague Zoo also plays an important role in the international transport of this species. In the past, it arranged the transfer of four females from Europe to Vietnam so that they could mate with the last genetically valuable wild male. In 2023, Prague Zoo organized and facilitated the transport of three pairs of pheasants to Taiwan to establish a backup population.

International coordination of Vietnam pheasant conservation is led by the Vietnam Pheasant Recovery Team, of which a representative from Prague Zoo is a member. This team, in cooperation with the IUCN Species Survival Commission, has prepared a comprehensive recovery plan, which includes the establishment of a new breeding and reintroduction center for Vietnam pheasants directly in Vietnam, implemented on site by the non-profit organization Viet Nature.

With co-funding from Prague Zoo, Viet Nature completed the construction of the breeding and reintroduction center in Kim Ngân, central Vietnam, near the location of the last known wild Vietnam pheasant. The center allows for the breeding of individuals in human care and their gradual reintroduction into the wild. The goal is to maintain approximately fifty breeding pairs at the center, with the second generation gradually released into suitable surrounding habitats. In addition to building and operating the breeding center, the organization’s activities focus on protecting selected habitats, involving local rangers, and conducting long-term monitoring using camera traps and telemetry devices. Educational programmes for local communities are also part of the project. This year, the first selected pairs of pheasants are expected to be transported from Europe to Vietnam, marking a major milestone in the project.

Vietnam pheasants were also featured in a special issue of Gazella, the specialized journal of Prague Zoo, which can be downloaded for free HERE.

Vietnam pheasant chick, Photo: Petr Hamerník