Philippine Forest Turtles Saved from Smugglers, Turned Over to Katala Foundation

Philippine Forest Turtles Saved from Smugglers, Turned Over to Katala Foundation

Eighteen Philippine Forest Turtles were travelled from the Philippines to Hong Kong stuffed in a smuggler’s bag with over 60 other reptiles, but on Friday, they were returned safely home and are doing well in the care of the Katala Foundation.

The critically endangered turtles, found only in Palawan, were part of a consignment discovered by Hong Kong authorities in February. The smuggler’s loot also included 16 Southeast Asian Box Turtles,  Palawan,24 lizards, 16 pythons, one gliding snake, two Mangrove Snakes and a Common Mock Viper.

Two of the original 20 Philippine Forest Turtles and a pair of the Southeast Asian Box Turtles died before they reached the rescue centre in Hong Kong and another Southeast Asian Box Turtle died at the rescue centre.

The smuggler was convicted under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Ordinance and was fined HK$8,000 (USD1,031).

If the turtles had reached pet markets in US, Europe, Japan or China, they would have fetched well over the fine imposed.

The Philippine Forest Turtle Siebenrockiella leytensis and the Southeast Asian Box Turtles Cuora amboinensis were turned over to Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden in Hong Kong for temporary custody.

Kadoorie, together with the Hong Kong and Philippine CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) Authorities decided to repatriate the turtles to the Philippines.

This turtle is the flagship species of the Philippine Freshwater Turtle Conservation Program (PFTCP) of the Palawan-based NGO Katala Foundation Incorporated (KFI) in collaboration with Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Philippines.

Posted by George Daniels on Wednesday May 02 2012, 1:37 AM EST. Ref: TRAFFIC. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0