On the morning of November 14, a representative of the Management Board of Ly Son Marine Protected Area, Ly Son district (Quang Ngai province) said that they had released back into the sea a hawksbill turtle that local fishermen had caught and handed over earlier.

Close-up of the hawksbill turtle (a rare sea turtle species) that Mr. Ton caught and handed over to the authorities of Ly Son Marine Reserve (Quang Ngai province). Photo: TT

According to information from the Ly Son Marine Reserve Management Board, on the morning of November 8, Mr. Phan Ton, in Tay An Vinh village, Ly Son district, while using a net to scoop up trash stuck outside a fish cage at sea, accidentally discovered an animal struggling in the net, so he checked and determined it was a live sea turtle.

Knowing that this is a rare animal, listed in the Red Book; and realizing that the sea turtle's health was weak, Mr. Ton brought it into a cage and then reported it to the Management Board of Ly Son Marine Reserve.

Through inspection and measurement, the Management Board of Ly Son Marine Protected Area confirmed that this is an immature Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) individual, weighing about 5 kg, with a shell width of 27 cm and a length of 31 cm.

Hawksbill turtle is one of 7 wild, rare and protected sea turtle species listed in the Vietnam Red Book and IUCN Red List; Appendix of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

Conducted an inspection and identified it as a hawksbill - an animal listed in the Red Book that Mr. Ton submitted. Photo: TT

It is known that recently, Quang Ngai people have handed over to the provincial authorities dozens of rare animals listed in the Red Book to release into the natural environment.

Most recently, on November 8, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development carried out procedures to handle a pig-tailed macaque, voluntarily handed over by people in village 2, Nghia Dong commune, Quang Ngai city.

The pig-tailed macaque (scientific name Macaca leonia) that the people of village 2 handed over is a group IIB animal; an endangered, precious, rare species, weighing 9 kg, male and in normal health.

After completing the required procedures, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Quang Ngai province said it will assign responsibility to the Son Tinh - Quang Ngai City Inter-District Forest Protection Department to release the animal back into the natural forest in Ba To district.