Dr. Kyuho Kang from the National Institute of Ecology of South Korea hands over the turtles toCúc Phương National Park. — Photo courtesy of the park

HÀ NỘI — Cúc Phương National Park has received 28 endangered, rare Vietnamese turtles repatriated from the South Korea, the park reported on Wednesday.

The handover took place on Tuesday at Nội Bài International Airport, coordinated by Cúc Phương National Park, the Indo-Myanmar Conservation (IMC), Vietnamese authorities and the South Korea’s National Institute of Ecology (NIE), under cooperation on biodiversity conservation and implementation of CITES.

The turtles belong to several endangered and protected Vietnamese species, including the northern Vietnamese box turtle (Cuora galbinifrons), central Vietnamese box turtle (Cuora bourreti), keeled box turtle (Cuora mouhotii) and the black-breasted leaf turtle (Geoemyda spengleri).

These species face severe decline in the wild due to forest habitat loss and illegal hunting and trafficking for the pet trade.

According to Dr Kyuho Kang, who accompanied the turtles, they were seized by Korean authorities at Incheon Airport while being trafficked. After care at NIE’s rescue centre, returning them to their native range was prioritised to support long-term conservation.

Transport and handover were supervised by quarantine and conservation bodies, with all cross-border and veterinary procedures compliant with Vietnamese law and international protocols.

Relevant agencies hand over rare turtles to Cúc Phương National Park.

The turtles were transferred to Cúc Phương National Park in Ninh Bình Province for quarantine and health checks. Eligible individuals will join conservation breeding or be released to the wild, said Nguyễn Văn Chính, director of Cúc Phương National Park.

Chính said that the repatriation highlights shared international responsibility under CITES to curb cross-border wildlife trafficking and supports efforts to restore Việt Nam’s endangered turtle species.

Cúc Phương, Việt Nam’s first national park, is renowned for its tropical rainforest ecosystem and wildlife rescue and conservation programmes. — VNS