Thirty Central Asian tortoise hatchlings seized from illegal sale at the Shepherd Ota plot in Samarkand city have been released back into the wild. Report Press Office of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment Protection and Climate Change.

The turtles were immediately transferred to a rehabilitation center in Zarafshan National Nature Park for health checks.

It is learnt that the criminals who wanted to sell the turtles fled the scene during the eco raid. Investigations are ongoing to identify them.

The Central Asian tortoise is listed as vulnerable and endangered in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Red Data Book of Uzbekistan.