Van Ban: Receiving an individual of the endangered, precious, and rare Northern yellow-fronted box turtle

Van Ban District Forest Protection Department in coordination with Hoang Lien Tourism and Wildlife Conservation Center of Hoang Lien National Park has just received an individual of the endangered, precious, rare Northern yellow-fronted box turtle that is prioritized for protection, voluntarily handed over by Mr. Trieu Van Nhat in Ban Bong 2 village, Cam Con commune, Bao Yen district.

On June 15, 2025, on the way home from Nam Tha commune (Van Ban), Mr. Trieu Van Nhat encountered a turtle on the side of the road. After checking and not seeing the turtle crawling away, Mr. Nhat, fearing that someone else would catch and harm it, took it to an acquaintance's house in Nam Tha commune. Realizing that this could be a rare animal and that keeping it in captivity would violate the law, Mr. Nhat proactively contacted and provided images to the officers of the Van Ban District Forest Protection Department. After being informed by the forest ranger that this Northern yellow-fronted box turtle is an endangered, rare, and precious wild animal that is prioritized for protection, Mr. Nhat voluntarily submitted a request to hand it over and was instructed to hand it over to the Hoang Lien Tourism and Wildlife Conservation Center.

Mr. Trieu Van Nhat voluntarily handed over a Northern yellow-fronted box turtle to the forest rangers.

The Northern yellow-fronted box turtle ( scientific name Cuora galbinifrons) is an endangered, precious, and rare wild animal belonging to group IB.

The Northern yellow-fronted box turtle ( scientific name Cuora galbinifrons ) is an endangered, precious, and rare wild animal belonging to group IB as stipulated in Decree 84/2021/ND-CP dated September 22, 2021 of the Government (number 10 in Appendix I List of endangered, precious, and rare forest plants and animals); belonging to group I (number 94 in Appendix I List of endangered, precious, and rare species prioritized for protection) as stipulated in Decree 64/2019/ND-CP dated July 16, 2019 of the Government.

Immediately after receiving the Northern yellow-fronted box turtle from Mr. Trieu Van Nhat, Van Ban Forest Protection Department and Hoang Lien Tourism and Habitat Conservation Center brought it to the Tourism and Habitat Conservation Center in Sa Pa town for care, rehabilitation and release into the natural environment. At the time of reception, the turtle weighed 0.8 kg, was 17 cm long, 7 cm high, 12 cm wide, and was in good health.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/van-ban-tiep-nhan-ca-the-rua-hop-tran-vang-mien-bac-nguy-cap-quy-hiem-post403467.html