Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife

We are the Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife, a Lao registered nonprofit wildlife center operating in Lao PDR, a key corridor for the illegal wildlife trade in South-east Asia, as a gateway between Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia and China. Our mission is to eradicate the illegal wildlife trade and improve wildlife education and welfare in Laos. We rescue, rehabilitate and release as much wildlife as possible, as well as being involved in worldwide conservation projects. We are a multi-species rescue, conservation and education nonprofit; incredibly uniquely placed to address the crisis driving the rapid decline of many endangered species. We offer a 24/7 national wildlife rescue hotline and carry out rehabilitation work and advocacy efforts. We strive to hire and train local people wherever possible, and are proud to be based in this beautiful and unique country.

LCTW was established in 2018, after taking on what used to be the Lao Zoo. The charity was formed to transform the zoo into Laos’ first all-species rescue, taking on any native species, with the aim of rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing them where possible, whilst providing education to the local communities and the Lao Government. We run the countries only wildlife crime hotline, where people can report instances 24/7.

In 2024 we undertook a full move from our previous Lao Zoo Site to a new site situated 1 hour away on the edge of a National Park. This site has been completely built from scratch, allowing us the unique opportunity to design a conservation centre with the animals at heart. Our new site features state of the art enclosures, where the animals live in semi-natural conditions in order to be best prepared for eventual release to the wild. We have a brand new world class veterinary hospital, where visitors can observe procedures from the viewing windows. All native wildlife can be treated here or via our wildlife ambulance which can treat animals in-situ. Gibbons swing over your head, allowing visitors to feel fully immersed in nature whilst practicing responsible wildlife tourism. We also have dedicated enclosures for our several breeding programs for Critically Endangered Species, allowing wild populations within Laos to be boosted with their offspring.

Volunteers are critical toward achieving our mission and goals at LCTW. Our volunteer programs assist us in our important conservation work - come get your hands dirty with us!