The Asian Turtle Program was established in 1998 alongside the Turtle Conservation Centre (TCC) at Cuc Phuong National Park, and, in 2015, incorporated into Indo-Myanmar Conservation (IMC), a UK-based NGO (Charity Commission number 1126123) registered in 2008 in London, United Kingdom. Throughout its existence, ATP has been working on the conservation of tortoises and freshwater turtles (TFT) in s
outheast Asia with a focus on Vietnam and, more specifically, priority species including critically endangered and endemic species of greatest conservation concern. Projects focus on the endemic Vietnamese Pond Turtle (Mauremys annamensis) and Indochinese Box Turtles (Cuora bourreti) and (Cuora picturata) in central Vietnam, and the legendary Hoan Kiem Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei), also known as Swinhoe’s Softshell Turtle, in northern Vietnam, largely recognised as the most endangered turtle species in the world. Training and awareness undertaken by the ATP include enforcement training for forest rangers, raising public awareness about the importance of protecting Vietnam’s turtles, conducting conservation-focused research, and building the next generation of young scientists and professionals with expertise in Vietnam’s turtles through a student training program. The incorporation of the ATP into IMC has supported and strengthen our 20+ years of practical tortoise and freshwater turtle conservation experience which includes captive management, field research and awareness and community engagement. Beside a focus of conservation work on TFT, the skills available within IMC allows greater scope for work in additional fields such as additional taxa or alternative livelihoods in the near future, for example. The Asian Turtle Program would like to thank all of our partner and donor organisations. If you would like to contribute to the ATP, please visit our support page or contact us at [email protected]
