Endangered sea turtle gets a lucky break in central Vietnam

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A local resident handed in an endangered sea turtle to authorities in Long An Province on Friday.

Photo by VnExpress/Le Huynh

The sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) weighs 12 kilograms (26 pounds) and is 50 centimeters in length (1.6 feet), according to Ta Van Nguyen Hoang, head of the fisheries department in Long An Province, about 46 kilometers (28 miles) west of Ho Chi Minh City.

A resident bought the turtle from a vendor several days ago but then handed it over to authorities after realizing it belonged to a group of protected species.

Photo by VnExpress/Le Huynh

The turtle is listed as endangered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as CITES.

It is currently in the care of the fisheries department and will be released back into the sea.

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