THANH NIEN (Hanoi, Vietnam) 10 September 07 Vietnam moves to protect endangered turtle

Photo at URL below: A Vietnamese Pond turtle, which is found only in lowland areas of Vietnam, is seen after it was caught in November 2006 in Quang Nam province, Vietnam (AP)

A province in central Vietnam has opened a year-long program to protect the Vietnamese Pond turtle, one of the most endangered turtles in the world.

The Vietnamese Pond Turtle (mauremys annamensis), also known as the Leaf Turtle, is found only in the lowland areas of Vietnam.

Diep Thanh Phong, Deputy Director of Quang Nam Province Service of Agriculture and Rural Development, announced the program’s approval on Monday.

The project would be carried out by Center of Education for Nature Vietnam and the local Department of Forest Protection until September next year, he said.

Phong added that the program would study the species and subspecies of the turtle in the region and survey ponds and lakes to identify potential living environments for the reptile.

The reptile is classified as “critically endangered” by the World Conservation Union’s Red List as it is among the world’s 25 most-endangered turtle species.

At the end of 2006, specialists from the Asian Turtle Program in Quang Nam caught a wild Pond Turtle for the first time in 65 years. The turtle weighed over 400grams in Quang Nam.
Vietnam moves to protect endangered turtle

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