Staff of Than Sa - Phuong Hoang Nature Reserve regularly patrol to protect the forest.

The Than Sa - Phuong Hoang Nature Reserve, managed by the Special-Use and Protection Forest Management Board of Thai Nguyen Province, spans nearly 19,000 ha across the limestone mountain ranges of eight communes and one town in Vo Nhai District: Than Sa, Sang Moc, Thuong Nung, Nghinh Tuong, Vu Chan, Phu Thuong, Cuc Duong, and Dinh Ca Town. It is regarded as the “natural green lung” of Thai Nguyen Province.

The reserve features magnificent landscapes, a rich and diverse array of flora and fauna, and a unique limestone forest ecosystem of high conservation value.

The reserve is home to six types of vegetation, 1,234 plant species belonging to 660 genera, 171 families, five divisions, and two plant classes. Among them, 56 species are listed in the Red Books of Vietnam and the world, identified as in need of protection.

Rare and precious animals at Than Sa - Phuong Hoang Nature Reserve.

As for fauna, the reserve hosts 347 species across 89 families and 25 orders, with 60 species classified as endangered or rare, requiring conservation. Additionally, the reserve contains a system of caves and the renowned archaeological site of prehistoric human remains at Mai Da Nguom. It also holds significant importance for national security and defence, making it crucial for the sustainable development goals of Thai Nguyen Province.

In recent years, the Than Sa - Phuong Hoang Nature Reserve has benefited from provincial attention and investment to protect and conserve its forest resources, biodiversity, and distinctive forest ecosystems.

Several programmes and projects have been implemented to manage, protect, and conserve biodiversity resources. These include forest management, protection, and development programmes, forest fire prevention and natural biodiversity conservation projects, investments in human resource development and infrastructure to support conservation efforts, and community support programmes in buffer zones. These initiatives aim to alleviate pressure on forest resources and stabilise the livelihoods of communities living in and around the forest.

Thanks to the province’s investment, close guidance from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, coordination with local authorities, support from local residents, and the efforts of the management board staff, the management, protection, and biodiversity conservation efforts in the Than Sa - Phuong Hoang Nature Reserve have been systematically implemented.

Forest resource violations have significantly decreased, ecosystems are being protected, biodiversity is being preserved and promoted, and the material and spiritual lives of buffer-zone residents have markedly improved. These communities now actively cooperate with the management board and local authorities to protect the forest.

The Binh