Nature reserve planned for endangered turtle

Xinhua News Agency
September 1, 2007

http://www.china.org.cn/english/news/222820.htm

A 3,000-hectare nature reserve will be set up in Anhui Province, east China to preserve and protect an endangered turtle species, which scientists said only about 100 are living in the wild.

The reserve at Hongxing Township, Yixian County, will cover the Qingxi River valley where the golden-headed box turtles live, according to the Yixian county government.

Experts and government officials are seeking technical and financial aid from wild animal protection organizations home and abroad for the protection of the species, said Dr. Lu Shunqing with the Anhui Huangshan College.

The turtle is an extremely rare animal species which was found in Anhui in 1988 and was listed as provincial class-A protected animal species in 1992, said Lu.

It was not on the national list of endangered animals for the late discovery, according to Lu.

Scientists from the School of Life Science of Anhui Normal University who have studied the animal for seven years warned that there are only 100 golden-headed box turtles left in the wild and the species may disappear in 10 years if no efficient measures taken.

Since the establishment of the first Dinghushan nature reserve, China now has 303 national nature reserves which play an active role in protecting rare species.

(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2007)