Information from the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Tay Ninh province on December 17 said that this agency has issued a decision to administratively fine an individual in Tam Vu commune 315 million VND for illegally raising and trapping watercress - an endangered, precious, and rare wild animal in a strictly protected group.
According to the information, Mr. N.M.T (residing in Hamlet 8, Tam Vu Commune) illegally raised and locked up a crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) when he did not have documents proving the legal origin of the forest product. Previously, on November 20, 2025, the Mobile Forest Ranger and Forest Fire Prevention and Fighting Team No. 2 conducted an inspection and made a record of administrative violations in this case.
The watercress crocodile is a species in Appendix I of the CITES Convention, classified in Group IB according to the List of endangered, precious and rare wild animals of Vietnam, and is protected at the highest level. According to the law, all acts of illegal farming, captivity, transportation, and trading of this species will be strictly handled.
Pursuant to Clause 12, Article 21 of Decree No. 35/2019/ND-CP of the Government (amended and supplemented in 2022), the competent authority has applied a fine of VND 315 million to Mr. N.M.T.
In addition to the main fine, the penalty decision also comes with remedial measures, including: confiscating the entire crocodile cage and forcing the return of 650,000 VND corresponding to the value of the violating exhibits, which are crocodiles that have been destroyed in violation of regulations.
Regarding the above, previously, on October 27, 2025, the crocodile that Mr. T raised escaped from the canal and bit the foot of a resident who was a teacher at Thuan My Secondary School while struggling in the ditch behind his house.
People beat the crocodile to death and took the person bitten by the crocodile to the hospital for emergency care, taking many stitches.
Through verification, about 4 years ago, a person in the crocodile group on social media posted information about a long-tailed crocodile that they no longer wanted to raise, so they gave it to someone.
Seeing that, Mr. N.M.T ran to Cho Lon bus station (HCMC) to meet this person to pick up a crocodile weighing about 4 - 4.5 kg at that time and then brought it back to raise for ornamental purposes. Before the crocodile cage gate weighed 6 - 7 kg, Mr. N.M.T went to look for it but could not find it.
On the morning of October 27, Mr. N.M.T was at home when he heard someone was bitten by a crocodile, so he ran to see and discovered that it was the crocodile he raised. Mr. N.M.T brought the dead crocodile back to eat, and went to the hospital to visit the person bitten by the crocodile and asked to be responsible for the cost and medicine.
After checking the crocodile capture at Mr. N.M.T's house, the authorities found that he raised crocodiles of unknown origin and had not registered with the forest rangers. At the same time, the barn was not guaranteed, and when the crocodile entered the barn, he did not report it to the forest rangers.
The Tay Ninh Provincial Forest Protection Department said that in the coming time, it will continue to strengthen inspection and supervision in residential areas, farms and border areas to promptly detect and thoroughly handle illegal wildlife farming and trading.
Strictly handling violations not only aims to deter and prevent but also contributes significantly to the conservation of biodiversity and the protection of rare animals in Vietnam.
