The wildlife rescue centre at U Minh Thượng National Park in Kiên Giang Province. The province regularly rescues animals and releases them back into the wild. - VNA Photo

KIÊN GIANG - Kiên Giang Province has been rescuing and returning rare wild animals to nature since the beginning of this year.

Hòn Me Wildlife Rescue Station in Hòn Đất District received two long-tailed macaques, an Indian python, a reticulated python, a yellow-headed temple turtle, and a freshwater crocodile from the local police and people in Rạch Giá City.

It has worked with the U Minh Thượng National Park and other relevant authorities to release 10 long-tailed macaques, six yellow-headed temple turtles, three Indian pythons, a reticulated python, an Asian water monitor, and a monocled cobra into their natural habitats.

It is currently caring for 47 animals belonging to 15 species, including Asian black bears, long-tailed macaques, southern pig-tailed macaques, and Asian small-clawed otters.

The U Minh Thượng National Park has also been rescuing rare and endangered wild animals, mainly from illegal wildlife traders, and caring for and releasing them in the wild.

Kiên Giang Province has instructed local departments and authorities to raise awareness of regulations related to biodiversity conservation, protecting wild and endangered animals and monitoring invasive alien species.

The Forest Protection Department has been instructed to work with fisheries surveillance forces, market management, customs, border guards, the Coast Guard, and police to inspect restaurants, hotels, businesses raising wild animals, and key goods transportation routes order to detect violations of wildlife protection laws.

The province regularly disseminates to the public the importance of protecting wildlife, and there have been many cases of people handing over animals they found.

Just earlier this month there were two instances of people handing over sea turtles to local authorities, who released them back into the ocean. - VNS