Ho Chi Minh City, 1st November, 2012 – Wildlife At Risk (WAR) works with Ho Chi Minh City Fisheries Quality Assurance and Aquatic Resources Protection Department to successfully rescue one Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) weighing roughly 12 kg. This species, which is classified as “Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red Book, is being pushed towards extinction by the illegal trade of wildlife and is protected under Vietnamese Law and the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).
A local resident found the turtle being sold illegally in an aquarium shop in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. The resident immediately phoned the WAR hot line and managed to persuade the shop owner to voluntarily hand over the turtle to WAR staff. The turtle was successfully transferred to the Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station (CCWRS) and is now receiving the proper care it needs and after rehabilitation, it can be released back to the wild.On the same day, WAR received more wild species from local police in Ward 12, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, including four Flying Squirrels (Hylopestes sp.), one Indochinese Ground Squirrel (Menetes berdmorei), two Red-bellied Tree Squirrels (Callosciurus flavimanus), one Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus) and one Shikra (Accipiter badius). All of these species were safely transferred to the CCWRS for rehabilitation and possible releasing back to the wild in near future.