An 1.3 kg hawksbill turtle, a rare species listed in the Red Book of Vietnam and the world, was released in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu on July 19.

The rare hawksbill turtle is released in Bac Lieu.

Huynh Vu Trang, from Vinh My B commune, Hoa Binh district, was caught red handed on his way to trade the animal on July 18.

He said he had bought it from a local fisherman.

The hawksbill turtle is one of five sea turtle species that inhabit Vietnam’s waters.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora lists the turtle as in danger of extinction, therefore it is illegal to catch or trade the species.

VNA