EAST is a UK charity established in 2008 with the aim to invest in sustainable wildlife conservation in Southeast Asia. EAST’s mission is to support governments in their desire to cease illegal wildlife trade and provide support for Asian nationals in discovering and conserving their own unique wildlife. Through facilitating people in the protection of their environment, they aim to help provide a sustainable legacy for future generations.
What do they do?
EAST works in collaboration with the Vietnamese Government founded the Dao Tien Endangered Primate Species Centre, in the Cat Tien National Park, South Vietnam. With long-term training and development of their Vietnamese primate care staff they have established an International standard of care for endangered primates in South Vietnam.
One of the primates most at risk of local extinction, is the pygmy loris (Nycticebus pygmaeus). A small nocturnal primate hunted for its meat, traditional medicine and now increasingly for the pet trade driven by social media. Individuals are rehabilitated and returned to the forest if fit. Each individual is fitted with a temporary radio collar to ensure each loris can be monitored post release, gaining valuable data on their behavior and if necessary intervene and return to the center if they struggle.
A vital part of their conservation work is the education and awareness program, which work with both local and international communities. Along with increased awareness of the law and the problems of illegal hunting EAST helps support improvements in local livelihood for families living on the edges of the protected forest. English tuition helps young children gain better jobs, and donations of pepper or coffee trees help increase the yearly income of the family.
What can you do to help?
You can visit the Dao Tien Endangered Primate Species Centre which provides the perfect opportunity to see the rehabilitation of remarkable primates confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade. You can also sponsor a primate and be regularly informed about how you are contributing to its rehabilitation process. You can also volunteer at the center in the areas of Education, Eco-Tourism and Primate Care.
- 70 US$ = Food for all the gibbons at Dao Tien for one week.
- 150 US$ = A GPS device, essential for the forest team to monitor the progress of released primates.
- 300 US$ = A good pair of binoculars for the forest team to monitor the progress of released primates.
- 350 US$ = Pays a forest monitoring staff member for one month.
- 500 US$ = An animal health check when they are rescued from illegal trade.
- 600 US$ = A new computer for a local school, aiding the Dao Tien in their local school education program.
- 2,000 US$ = A scholarship for a local student to study in the forest for two months, helping to support the next generation of Vietnamese conservationists.
- 4,000 US$ = A radio collar for a gibbon to be monitored once it has been released into the wild.
EXO Foundation support
EXO Foundation donated to this very well managed and efficient program conducted in close collaboration with Ca Tien National Park, EAST aside conducting conservation projects for Gibbons and Loris as well contribute to the protection program of the Park which allocated an island for their project.