Cuora zhoui - What do we do?

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This species was described based on three specimens purchased on a Guangxi/Vietnam Border Market in Pingxian City in the late 1980s. Since its description and despite intensive search efforts by several teams its origin remains a mystery. The Asian Turtle Program, the University of Hanoi and us have teamed up to hopefully change this. Our data indicates a potential origin of this species from the Sino-Vietnamese Border area and we have undertaken significant field research to find out more, so far with no ultimate result - a specimen, however.

Unfortunately it might already be to late for this species and it might be extinct in the wild.

But we have not given up hope yet to find it or at least its habitat so that we can take measures and plan potential future release projects. 

We are lucky to breed this species every year in our facility and with our Partners, especially the IZS in the Allwetter Zoo Münster, maintain them in captivity until the day of discovery might come...