Police in Ea Bung Commune, Daklak Province, have received five black marsh turtles after a local resident voluntarily handed over the rare reptiles to authorities.
According to police, the resident discovered the turtles wandering in the area and promptly reported the find before surrendering the animals to local officials.
Police in Ea Bung Commune, working with the Ea Sup Forest Protection Department and the commune authorities, inspected the turtles, completed the necessary documentation and transferred the animals into professional care for monitoring before they are released back into the wild.
The black marsh turtle (Cuora amboinensis) is listed under Group IIB, a category of endangered, rare and protected forest wildlife whose commercial exploitation and use are restricted under Vietnamese law.
Authorities urged the public to notify local authorities or forest rangers whenever wild animals are found and warned against keeping, trading or transporting species protected by law without authorisation.
