Hanoi (VNA) – Twenty-eight rare turtles have been repatriated from the Republic of Korea to the Cuc Phuong National Park in the northern province of Ninh Binh, including the Vietnamese box turtle, central Vietnamese flowerback box turtle, keeled box turtle, and black-breasted leaf turtle.
The park announced on May 13 that it had worked with the Indo-Myanmar Conservation, Vietnamese authorities, and the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea (RoK) to receive the shipment under international cooperation in biodiversity conservation and the implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The turtles belong to several endangered native species of Vietnam, including the Vietnamese box turtle (Cuora galbinifrons), central Vietnamese flowerback box turtle (Cuora bourreti), keeled box turtle (Cuora mouhotii), and black-breasted leaf turtle (Geoemyda spengleri). All are of high conservation value and face severe threats in the wild due to habitat loss, poaching, and illegal wildlife trade.
The park said the transport, quarantine, and handover process was carried out in strict compliance with Vietnamese regulations, CITES requirements, and international veterinary protocols to ensure disease control, animal health, and welfare.
After completing mandatory quarantine procedures, the turtles will undergo health monitoring and long-term conservation assessments at Cuc Phuong's specialised facilities. Individuals deemed suitable will be included in captive breeding and conservation education programmes, with the long-term goal of releasing them back into appropriate natural habitats.
The repatriation highlights the effectiveness of international cooperation in conserving endangered wildlife while reaffirming the parties’ commitment to enforcing CITES, combating illegal wildlife trafficking and restoring threatened species to their native habitats.
Nguyen Van Chinh, Director of the Cuc Phuong National Park, said the return of the turtles is significant not only for Vietnam's conservation efforts but also as a demonstration of the value of international collaboration in protecting endangered wildlife.
He praised the support of international partners, particularly the National Institute of Ecology of the RoK, conservation organisations and relevant authorities, describing the initiative as evidence of the global community's shared commitment to enforcing CITES, curbing illegal wildlife trade and restoring threatened species in the wild.
As one of Vietnam's leading institutions for wildlife rescue and conservation, the Cuc Phuong National Park is expanding its rescue, rehabilitation, conservation, and rewilding programmes while raising public awareness of biodiversity conservation, Chinh said.
Over the years, the park has developed into one of Vietnam's and the region's foremost centres for rescuing, conserving and reintroducing endangered wildlife, making an important contribution to national and global biodiversity conservation efforts.
Providing further details, Dr Kyuho Kang, a researcher at the Wildlife Rescue Management Centre of the National Institute of Ecology of the RoK, who directly accompanied the turtles to Vietnam, said they had been confiscated by authorities at Incheon International Airport, most likely in connection with the illegal pet trade.
The turtles were subsequently transferred to the institute for care and protection. As none of the species are native to the RoK, they could not be released into the wild there.
Kang said cooperation among rescue centres and conservation organisations is essential to protecting endangered wildlife.
This repatriation programme with the Cuc Phuong National Park has been a particularly meaningful opportunity, allowing these endangered turtles to return to their homeland, he said.
"We hope they will eventually join the rewilding programme and be released back into their natural habitats in the future," stated Kang./.
