Hong Kong, one of the world’s most densely populated cities, has become a refuge for several exotic species of turtle, which have been hunted to the brink of extinction elsewhere in Asia for use in Chinese medicine and as exotic pets. Poaching incidents in Hong Kong are on the rise, endangering the population there. Sung Yik-hei, an associate professor at Lingnan University who has been monitoring the city’s turtle population for over a decade, believes that publicizing the turtles’ plight now may be his last chance to save them from extinction, even if it means breaking the secrecy that has shielded them for so long.

Among the populations Sung is fighting to preserve are the golden coin turtle, the beale’s-eyed turtle, and the big-headed turtle. The big-headed turtle has become popular with those seeking an exotic pet but is particularly unsuitable, requiring elaborate enclosures to mimic their natural environments. Under Hong Kong law, possession of an endangered turtle is a criminal offense punishable by up to a maximum of 10 years in jail and a HK$10 million ($1.27 million) fine, depending on the species. However, they remain in popular demand and represent just the tip of the iceberg of the illegal trade in turtles in the city, which involves both endangered species and more common ones. Citing public data, ADM Capital Foundation, a private research body, said city authorities have seized at least 17,900 live turtles and tortoises from illegal smugglers since 2015. Hong Kong also imported more than 4.3 million turtles and tortoises legally between 2015 and 2022.