HCM CITY — 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.
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. — VNS