Chinese smuggling endangers rare Philippine turtles

The Philippine Forest Turtle, found only in the western island of Palawan, is one of numerous freshwater turtles being taken by poachers for sale to China, said Adelina Villena, chief of staff at the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development.

“They sell them mainly to the Chinese exotic food and medicine trade and the pet trade. They are smuggled out of the country, some are even traded on the high seas,” she told AFP.