Masked Finfoot was confirmed on the Serepok River, Yok Don National Park

During May 2002, as part of the Creating Protected Areas for Resource Conservation using Landscape Ecology (PARC) Project, scientists from BirdLife International conducted a rapid biodiversity survey in at Yok Don National Park.

The field survey recorded a total of 14 mammal species, 178 bird species and 7 reptile species. Particularly, a number of significant discoveries during the survey, from a conservation perspective, were made. Firstly, the presence of the globally Vulnerable Masked Finfoot Heliopais personata was confirmed on the Serepok River. The occurrence of a male in breeding condition at this time of year strongly suggests that the species may breed in the national park. This represents only the fourth recent record of this species from Vietnam. In addition, the presence of populations of the globally Vulnerable Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus and near-threatened Grey-headed Fish Eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus and Lesser Fish Eagle Ichthyophaga humilis all increase the conservation importance of the Serepok River.

A threat evaluation identified the major threats to biodiversity at the three sites to be inappropriate and ill-considered infrastructure development, in particular the construction of a dam on the Dak Ken River, and the construction of surfaced highway to Yok Don hill. On the Serepok River we discovered moderate to high levels of commercial fishing by Kinh who are using both gill nets and electro-fishing equipment. The clearance of forest for agriculture, hunting, over-exploitation of non-timber forest products, timber extraction, and isolation from nearby forest areas were also identified as issues facing the national park. Based on the results of the survey and threat evaluations, a serial of the conservation recommendations were made by the team in order to contribute to the on-going efforts from PARC project to protect the unique biodiversity values of Yok Don National Park.