A tiger was kept in a basement of a family in Nghe An Province
Speaking with Dantri/Dtinews, Nguyen Van Thai, director of Save Vietnam's Wildlife said that as the tigers have been raised domestically for a long time, they have lost their natural survival abilities and may die if released into the wild.
Thai also warned about possible tiger attacks following the release.
"These tigers used to live near people so they may find themselves comfortable approaching people's places," he explained. "That's why I don't think that local authorities will release them."
Talking about the solutions for the tigers' future, Thai said that local authorities should find a park or a proper place to raise them for the rest of their lives.
"As far as I know, all parks in Vietnam have had enough tigers and don't want to receive more," he said. "It costs a lot to keep a tiger so the parks have to consider carefully to receive more for some tourism or education purposes."
In cases the authorities cannot find a centre to protect these tigers, euthanasia may be the best release for them," he suggested. "I think if the authorities have to cull them, it can also help raise awareness and help prevent illegal keeping and trading, and using products of wild animals."
Vice director of the Forest Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nguyen Quoc Hieu also said that these tigers should be sent to a rescue centre for proper care before considering releasing them into the wild if possible.
On August 4, authorities in Nghe An moved out 17 tigers after finding them in the basements of two families in Yen Thanh District. All 17 tigers are adults, some weigh over 200kg.
According to initial investigations, the tigers were brought to Vietnam from Laos as cubs. The families built the basements specifically to keep the wild animals, which is illegal.
The tigers were given anaesthesia before being carried out to a nature reserve in Dien Chau District for health check-ups. However, eight of them died after that, and they have been frozen for investigation into the cause of their deaths.
Eight tigers died after being moved out from the farms
Nine others are being kept at the reserve and are in good health condition. The rescue has received lots of attention from the public who are also wondering about the future of the animals.