Vietnam is considered one of the most important hotspots for turtle diversity in Asia with 25 different native species of tortoise and freshwater turtles including five soft-shell species and 20 other hard-shell turtle species. Vietnam also is home to at least two endemic species of turtles that are found nowhere else in the world, as well as the legendary Hoan Kiem turtle, Rafetus swinhoei, one of the most famous and rarest turtles in the world.
All of Vietnam’s turtles are threatened by hunting and trade to meet the insatiable demand mainly from consumers in China, where turtles are consumed in special dishes or used to make traditional medicine. Evidence suggests that wild populations of most turtle species in Vietnam have declined significantly over the past 15 years leaving fragmented and degraded populations surviving in the wild.
Education for Nature Vietnam’s Wildlife Crime Unit has documented 434 cases involving illegal hunting, smuggling, or trade of tortoises and freshwater turtles since 2005. These figures include 163 smuggling cases accounting for more than an estimated 25 tons of turtles or up to 30,000 individuals.
Given that only a small fraction of trade is believed to be apprehended, this would suggest that the quantity of turtles being smuggled to China is significantly higher.
In March 2010, Cuc Phuong National Park opened the doors to the region’s first visitor interpretation center focused exclusively on the conservation and protection of tortoises and freshwater turtles. Located on the grounds of the park’s Turtle Conservation Center (TCC), the new educational facilities incorporate a range of interpretive displays and exhibits including underwater viewing tanks, a turtle egg incubation and hatchling room, and a mock hunting camp and forest trail. The Houston Zoo is proud to support the development of this new effort. To read the full press release – click here Turtle Conservation CenterVietnam
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