Quang Ngai (VNA) – Four rare wild animals were released back into the wild on June 22 following a coordinated effort by the Biodiversity Conservation and Ecotourism Centre at Chu Mom Ray National Park, local authorities, and relevant agencies.
The animals included a monitor lizard, a pangolin, an elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) and an impressed tortoise (Manouria impressa).
The 1kg monitor lizard had been under the centre’s care since March 18 after being confiscated in a case involving the illegal captivity of wildlife detected by local police. The 2.5kg pangolin was voluntarily handed over by a resident after it was found wandering near a residential area and was transferred to the centre on June 1.
The two tortoises were also voluntarily surrendered by local residents and received by the centre earlier this month. All four animals belong to rare and endangered forest species listed under Vietnam’s strict protection regulations.
According to specialists, the animals were in good health, free of disease, and fully capable of surviving in their natural environment. Their release is expected to contribute to the conservation of valuable genetic resources and help maintain ecological balance in the area.
Later the same day, authorities in Ba To commune handed over a 1.9kg Sunda pangolin, a species subject to the highest level of protection in Vietnam, to the centre for care before its eventual release into the wild.
Chu Mom Ray National Park in the central province of Quang Ngai manages and protects nearly 60,700 ha of forest, including over 56,000 ha of special-use forest and nearly 4,500 ha of production forest. The park is home to more than 1,800 plant species and over 1,000 animal species./.
