African spurred tortoises discovered by the authorities (Photo: Minh Huy).
Police in Tay Ninh Province have opened a criminal investigation into the illegal possession of protected wildlife after authorities seized 104 animals from a captive breeding site in Phuoc Thanh Commune.
On July 22, Tay Ninh Provincial Police said the case had been launched on allegations of violating regulations governing the management and protection of wild animals.
The investigation followed an inspection of a facility in Phuoc Hoi A Hamlet, Phuoc Thanh Commune, where officers discovered a man keeping 104 wild animals without documents proving their legal origin.
The seized animals included 92 African spurred tortoises (Geochelone sulcata), six red lories (Eos rubra) and six green-cheeked conures (Pyrrhura molinae). All of the animals are listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Birds kept illegally in captivity at T.'s facility (Photo: Minh Huy).
During questioning, the man admitted that the animals were not accompanied by the required legal documentation and that the breeding facility had not been issued the official registration code required under Vietnamese regulations.
Inspectors confiscated all 104 animals and transferred them to the Tay Ninh Forest Protection Department for care and management while the investigation continues.
The Tay Ninh Forest Protection Department urged individuals and licensed breeding facilities to keep, trade or transport wild animals only when they possess the required legal documentation and have obtained official breeding registration. Authorities warned that violations would be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law.
