Hundreds of threatened pig-nosed turtles smuggled from Indonesia as part of the illegal pet trade have been returned home.
Forestry Ministry spokesman Masyhud says the 609 baby turtles were among more than 800 seized by authorities in Hong Kong earlier this year.
They arrived at Jakarta’s international airport last Wednesday and waited to be sent on to their native habitat in Papua, Indonesia’s easternmost province.
The Carettochelys insculpta turtles got their nickname from the two large nostrils at the tips of their long, fleshy snouts.
They can be found in the freshwater streams, lagoons and rivers of Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The biggest threats they face come from the illegal animal trade, commercial fishing and egg and meat hunters.
數百隻從印尼走私受威脅的豬鼻龜,被當寵物非法販賣,已被送回牠們的家園。
印尼林業部發言人馬西哈德表示,這六百○九隻龜寶寶是今年稍早被香港當局查獲八百隻中的一部分。
牠們上週三抵達雅加達國際機場,等待被送往牠們在印尼極東邊巴布亞省的原始棲地。
學名為Carettochelys insculpta的豬鼻龜,因又長又肥的口鼻尖端有兩個大鼻孔,所以得此綽號。
人們可在澳洲以及巴布亞紐幾內亞的淡水溪流、潟湖與河流等地,找到牠們的蹤跡。
牠們面臨最大的威脅,來自非法動物交易、商業漁撈,以及獵捕龜蛋與龜肉。
(美聯社/翻譯:林亞蒂)