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Hoi An authorities release 10 turtles to wild

Tuesday - 04/09/2012 08:38

Hoi An has released 10 endangered sea turtles to their natural habitat in the Marine Conservation Park on the Cham Islands.

A company in Ho Chi Minh City had bought the turtles, whose scientific name is Eretmochelys imbricate, f-rom poachers and then handed them over to the town authorities for release.


The turtle is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in its genus. 

Before returning the animals to the wild, authorities named them after ten isles of the Cham Islands and fixed a nametag to each of the turtles for control purposes. 

Accordingly, the largest of the turtles, weighing 55 kg, is called Lao, and the smallest, weighing 5 kg, is named as Kho, while the others are Lui, La, Dai, Tai, Nhan, Nhon, Ong, and Kho Me. Last year a businessperson in Nha Trang, in central Khanh Hoa Province, purchased two rare turtles f-rom poachers and then returned them to local authorities for release on November 8. 

The turtles belong to the Chelonia mydas family, a highly protected species, local authorities said.

 

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