The animal trade behind Buddhist « life release »
Across Southeast Asia, freeing captive animals in order to « make merit » is widespread. Namely done for the benefit of the animal, it is believed to bring positive karma along with luck, health or prosperity to the practitioners, yet drives a large-scale trade in animals.
In January 2024, this story was featured on the cover of South China Morning Post (tearsheets) and screened at the Angkor Photo Festival in Siem Reap. A version with additional interviews of religious figures was published in Khmer by VOA in April 2024. The story was a finalist in the 2025 Nature & Humans conservation photography contest.
In Cambodia, more than 10 million animals, including more than 3 million birds, are sold for release every year at popular shrines and pagodas. In nearby Vietnam, the numbers are more than ten-fold higher. The positive image of setting an animal free hides a dark reality with nearly all birds caught in the wild. Scores of individuals in the cages are exhausted or injured, with the dead regularly removed not to deter potential buyers. Release doesn’t mark the end of the ordeal: more than half don’t survive to enjoy their renewed freedom and some are re-caught in the evening. The practice has led to both the decline of endangered species and the introduction of invasive exotic species.
The English version of the story featured in a major regional media, making the cover of its weekly magazine. The Khmer language version of the story received a combined total of nearly 4,000 likes & shares, with more than 100 comments on Facebook. Cambodian media echoed the story: Kampucheers shared a dedicated commentary and Kiripost published their own story. It was also picked up by the Ministry of Environment who shared a visual made from one of the photo and even paid to promote it.
Do get in touch if you are interested by this topic, either from a media or NGO perspective. I keep covering this issue in Southeast Asia and I’m open to collaborations. I also cover bird hunting & trade.
