Posted on May, 10 2002

An Orange-necked Partridge � once thought to be extinct � was captured last September in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam. This is the first time a live specimen of the species has been seen at close range since the species was first discovered in 1927.

The Orange-necked Partridge (Arborophila davidi) is an endemic species of pheasant that only resides in Southern Vietnam. The population is extremely small and is restricted to the Dong Nai, Lam Dong, and Binh Phuoc provinces, in and around Cat Tien National Park. In 1991, scientists were unsure whether the species still survived. A survey team sent to the park managed to catch glimpses of the bird, confirming that it was not extinct. A second team dispatched in 1998 managed to see and make recordings of their calls.

�After rediscovering the Orange-necked Partridge in Cat Tien National Park, we hoped to take their pictures in the wild but it turned out to be difficult," said Nguyen Tran Vy, a Research Officer from the Cat Tien National Park Conservation Project. "In 2001 we eventually managed to obtain some photographs, although they were not of high quality. We never saw any individuals at close range."

Then last September, a resident of the Thong Nhat District reported the capture of a pheasant to the Dang Ha Forest Guard Station. Cat Tien National Park staff were immediately sent to the site to bring the pheasant back to park headquarters. With help from national park technical staff, the pheasant was confirmed to be an Orange-necked Partridge.

The captured Orange-necked Partridge has helped redefine the colouring and voice of the species. There was no exact information source on the species before the individual was found, a member of the Cat Tien National Park technical staff said. The first-ever film of the partridge was taken by Ina Becker from the WWF-Cat Tien National Park Conservation Project.

The partridge was released back into Cat Tien National Park four days after its capture. �We think that the Orange-necked Partridge in particular, and other bird species in general, do not cope well with captivity. Therefore, this species shouldn�t be kept in captivity but rather should live in the wild. It should be protected for future generations�, Vy said. The release site was an area where the species had previously been observed. Experts hope that it will breed with other individuals to increase the species' population.

For further information:
Hoa Nguyen Diep
Communications Officer, WWF Indochina
E-mail: hoa@wwfvn.org.vn