Thirty-four critically endangered pond turtles were returned to Vietnam earlier this month. They are the first wildlife to be returned to the country after having been smuggled out as part of the illegal wildlife trade.
The turtles included two adults, who were discovered in a Hong Kong market, and their 32 offspring, who were born in captivity after their parents' rescue at the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden in Hong Kong.
These Vietnamese pond turtles, Mauremys annamensis, are the most threatened of Vietnam's 25 native species of tortoises and turtles. Almost all of the country's species are in jeopardy due to hunting for their meat and shells and trade to meet the demand of export markets, China in particular. Loss of habitat is also a major factor in their decline.
Fortunately, the country's wildlife protection law lists the pond turtles as one of seven protected turtle species, meaning they cannot be bought, sold, traded or consumed without government permission. However, many more species need protection—the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources lists more than half of Vietnam's turtle species as "Endangered" or even "Critically Endangered."
The Turtle Conservation Centre at Cuc Phuong National Park, a grantee of Humane Society International, has taken the turtles and hopes to release them back into the wild. With the enforcement of wildlife laws and stronger penalties for illegal traders, the turtles may once again find a safe haven in lowland ponds and marshes of central Vietnam.
