The “SOS traveling exhibition - Education on wildlife product consumption” will be officially launched by Wildlife At Risk (WAR) in collaboration with Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training and Ho Chi Minh City Forest Protection Department on Saturday December 3rd 2011 at Minh Duc Secondary School, Ho Chi Minh City.
The event is expected to be attended by roughly 500 delegates and students. With the important message, “Say no to illegal wildlife products”, the SOS travelling exhibition provides children aged 12 - 15 years old with useful knowledge and astonishing information related to the consumption of wild animal products, thereby directing and urging the students to act and help Vietnam’s endangered wildlife before it is too late.
This exhibition is developed based on the results of the residential and secondary school student survey on consumption of wild animal products in Ho Chi Minh City that was released by WAR in May 2011.
According to Ms. Huyen Do Thi Thanh, Wildlife Education Manager, WAR “The SOS travelling exhibition is a professionally designed tent measuring roughly 60m2 including many attractive models, photographs, objects, sounds, movies and games. Children visiting the SOS educational tent can not only see but also hear, touch and interact with the exhibits and games. Helping guide and interpret information during the exhibition are more than 20 trained active volunteers studying at various universities throughout Ho Chi Minh City”.
The SOS traveling exhibition is one WAR’s main educational projects to help save wildlife from possible extinction as the Javan Rhino that was announced extinct throughout Vietnam in October 2011. On this occasion, WAR has also released a poster to remember the Javan Rhino extinction in Vietnam. Delegates will receive this poster free of charge. The launching ceremony will also include a special section to memorize this species.
Mr. Khoi Nguyen Vu, WAR’s director stated that, “Following the Javan Rhino, many other species may be facing extinction in the next decade, including large mammals such as the tiger and also the elephant. We are doing our best to ensure that the students – our future generation understand the consequences of the illegal wildlife consumption and trade. We hope that they will be willing to commit towards wildlife protection before it is too late. Wildlife is calling for our help, as the name of the exhibition tent highlights - SOS."
By the end of 2012, the SOS travelling exhibition will be operating throughout 40 secondary schools in Ho Chi Minh City targeting more than 20,000 students and teachers. WAR is looking forward supports in order to operate this exciting exhibition to other secondary schools.
Wildlife At Risk (WAR) is dedicated to protecting the biodiversity of Vietnam by combating the illegal wildlife trade and promoting the conservation of endangered species and their habitats.
