Saigon's 160-Year-Old Zoo Stepped In To Help 400 Stolen Cats Find Their Way Home, And The City Loves It

The Zoo Called First

When Ho Chi Minh City police dismantled an interprovincial cat theft ring earlier this month, they recovered over 400 cats. That left them with a different problem: how do you reunite hundreds of traumatized animals with their owners?

Thảo Cầm Viên (Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens) called first.

Founded in 1864, the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens is one of the oldest zoos in the world and the oldest in Vietnam. It sits on 33 hectares in the heart of Saigon ward (the old District 1) – part zoo, part botanical garden, part city park that generations of Saigonese have grown up visiting.

Beyond the public-facing role, Thảo Cầm Viên also houses and rehabilitates animals listed in Vietnam's Red Book, the country's registry of endangered species. While the illegal wildlife trade remains a serious problem, the zoo operates as one of the few institutions with the veterinary capacity and legal standing to care for confiscated and rescued animals.

So when the criminal police had 400 cats and no system to process them, calling Thảo Cầm Viên made sense. The zoo's veterinary team came to the headquarters on Xa lộ Hà Nội, examined each cat, assigned it a number, and photographed its markings, including coat color and eye color, and breed logged into a profile. The photos went up on the zoo's Facebook page. The posts got thousands of shares within hours.

Owners started showing up with phones full of old photos, standing in front of the cages calling their cats' names. Some found them. Many are still looking. The vets came back the next morning to finish the rest.

400 Cats, One By One

The theft ring had been operating across multiple provinces. Police seized over 500 cats in total, with more than 400 surviving. After time in overcrowded conditions, many arrived thin, stressed, and difficult to recognize than their owners expected. A tabby that once weighed four kilos doesn't look like itself at two and a half. Some cats had retreated completely. The vets noted bites, respiratory problems, and digestive issues across the group.

The individual profiles helped. Specific enough to be useful, public enough to spread. A few reunions happened through the Facebook posts alone, with owners recognizing a particular white patch or an unusual eye color from the photographs.

For the cats that remain unclaimed, some people have already asked about adoption. Dr. Nguyễn Quỳnh Thiện Hảo, head of the zoo's veterinary unit, noted that adult cats who have been through this kind of stress need patience and time to adjust.

A City That Shows Up

Since Thảo Cầm Viên became part of this city in the 19th century, it has witnessed the long trajectory of Saigon’s history, evolving from a colonial botanical garden into a beloved municipal landmark. Last week, its 160-year-old résumé added a poignant new line: acting as a municipal lost-and-found for hundreds of stolen pets.

The city noticed. The shares, the comments, the people arriving with old photos that responded said something about Saigon that no press release could. When something goes wrong here, institutions don't always wait to be asked.

Owners who lost a cat to theft can contact the Criminal Investigation Police Department directly at 9 Xa lộ Hà Nội, Tăng Nhơn Phú Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.