WFFT goes to the rescue in Laos!

January 21st, 2015

The Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) is proud to announce that from today we are actively involved with the “Laos wildlife rescue center” as a part of the Lao zoo, Vientiane in the Laos PDR. The Lao zoo is owned by the Ministry of defence of Laos, and has been kept running by donations of an entrepreneurial Laos-Thai family over the last decennia. All parties now involved feel it is time to move forward and change the initial objectives from running a national zoo to turn it gradually into a wildlife rescue facility.

In the next months to come we will be finalizing a completely equipped wildlife hospital and quarantine facility on-site and start with the building of new enclosures for rescued wildlife and animals already at the zoo to provide better animal welfare standards. Our main aim will be to implement a system and infra-structure to be able to assist the local authorities with the care of confiscated wildlife and wildlife donated by locals, such as wild pets and injured wildlife. The next step will be the gathering of information regarding illegal wildlife trade and possession. The set up of an educational center on the premises of the Lao Zoo will also be a long-term target of our cooperation.

Within the coming four months we will be busy implementing changes and building some urgently needed new facilities, but we hope to be able soon after to react to complaints and requests for assistance of wildlife in need of help. A new website will be set up with contact details, info and photos on our work and progress soon.
We hope to partner with lots of other organization within Asia and worldwide, as this facility will be Laos’ first multi-species wildlife rescue center. Laos is known to be a hot-spot for illegal wildlife trade, as such the need for a wildlife rescue facility up to international standard is an important step forward to battle this trade.

Edwin Wiek
Founder and Director
Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand

-The Laos wildlife rescue center is a member of the Wild Animal Rescue Network (WARN) of Asia, and will join the Species Survival Network (SSN).