Vietnamese businessmen raise wild animals as a hobby Raising wild animals for fun or profit has become a hobby of wealthy Vietnamese businessmen. When Ngo Duy Tan, director of Pacific Brewery, for example, set up a tiger farm in 2009, he only had six weak tigers, but he now has 31. Ngo Duy Tan, director of Pacific Brewery, is the owner of a farm with 31 tigers in the southern province of Binh Duong. Now a billionaire, Tan said he has become disenchanted and bored with the tigers. The 31 tigers and eight panthers on the farm need VND100 million worth of food every month. Tan also has to pay for medicine, healthcare and satisfy the requirements set by state management agencies. Le Thanh Than, a renowned real estate developer, dubbed as “hubble-bubble businessman” because he likes smoking pipe tobacco, is the owner of a “small zoo” which has many rare and precious animals. The wild beast zoo, originally a privately-run zoo, is located in his Trai Bo Eco-complex in the central province of Nghe An. The most scientifically valuable animals in the zoo are two rhinos imported from South Africa in 2008. The businessman also owns other South African wild species, including zebras, white horses, deer, antelopes and ostriches. The “crocodile king” is a moniker given to another rich businessman, Nguyen Quang Hien, of Dan Phuong District of Hanoi, who runs a farm with 5,000 crocodiles and makes a profit of VND6 billion a year. There is also a crocodile king in the south – Tran Van Nga, who has a seven-hectare crocodile farm. Nga’s crocodile skin products have been exported to many countries in the world, while his products made of crocodile skin have been well known in the domestic market. The farm brings the huge profit of VND10 billion every year. Raising arapaima is also a hobby of many Vietnamese businessmen. They like the fish species because it is aggressive by nature and can attack and take down their prey instantly, and therefore, symbolizes businessmen’s power. A small fish sells for VND1.5 billion, while adult fish may sell for one billion dong. Only billionaires can raise the fish, because they can afford the costly breeding prices and provide large aquariums. Nguyen Cong Duc, who was born and grew up in Hanoi, has lived in the mountainous area of Luong Son in Hoa Binh province in the last few years. Duc is called “Duc Gau” (Duc Bear) because he raises many bears, wild boars and crocodiles on a farm of two hectares. Duc is also famous for his tomb where his dead body will be embalmed. Hanh Nguyen, VietNamNet Bridge