Update on the Big-headed Turtle Rescues in Vietnam – November 2017
Every day staff have had to undertake treatment on some of the injured animals. Photo credit: ATP
We have had a steady flow of confiscated Big-headed Turtles (Platysternon megacephalum) since 2015. The most recent rescue of 68 animals only arrived during October 2017. The situation is now critical, our facilities have been overstretched with animal holding now full and staff are exhausted working continuously to treat and care for some very sick animals. We have developed a plan for release but these are on hold and dependent on results on genetics work with recent questions raised about the distribution of the species and subspecies throughout its range and the possible origins of these rescued animals.
We would like to thank the World Land Trust, Bristol Zoo, Zoological Society of London, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society and Turtle Survival Alliance who have all held support the rescue and treatments so far.
Photo gallery
105 Big-Headed Turtles were seized in Quang Ninh Province, transferred to the Hanoi wildlife Rescue Centre before being sent to the Turtle Conservation Centre (TCC) in November 2016, Link about the confiscation on ATP website https://goo.gl/RWhk7h
68 Big-headed Turtles (Platysternon megacephalum) recently confiscated from Ninh Binh province. Link about the confiscation on ATP website https://goo.gl/FVU5JH
Right now, our holding areas are full, this species needs to be kept individually due to aggression and in cool clean water. During the warm summer months, this meant keeping them in air-conditioned rooms. With little space, we have had to stack them. We need to expand the of quarantine building and improve the holding for these animals. Photo credit: ATP
Every day staff have had to undertake treatment on some of the injured animals. Photo credit: ATP
With a small number found to have ingested fish hooks, some in the throat could be easily removed, others deep inside will require surgery to remove. Photo credit: ATP
An x-ray shows a juvenile Big-headed Turtle that has swallowed what seems to be an impossibly large hook for such a small animal. Photo credit: ATP
Deaths have sadly been unavoidable, but many animals have now recovered well and just require genetic and health screening before release. We really hope to see some of these animals back out in the wild soon. Photo credit: ATP.
Link about the news on ATP website https://goo.gl/qvYBKD
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