MANILA, Philippines (AP) 4/27/12— Turtles represent longevity and good
luck, and that's certainly true for 18 rare smuggled turtles that were returned
from Hong Kong to their native Philippines.
Philippine Wildlife Bureau head Mundita Lim says the pond turtles were confiscated at the Hong Kong airport in
February from a Chinese student, along with 13 more common box turtles.
Pond turtles live only in forests on Palawan Island southwest of Manila.
Only about 120 remain in the wild. Lim says they are prized as novelty pets
or food.
Philippine officials took the unprecedented step of traveling to Hong
Kong and retrieving the turtles because they are so rare. Palawan's governor
received the turtles at the Manila airport Friday.
The 18 will be rehabilitated before being released in the wild.
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