A project to save the rare Vietnamese pond turtle in the centralprovince of Quang Ngai has yet to get off the ground due to lacks offunds, said Nguyen Van Hang, head of the provincial Forest ProtectionDepartment.

The Pond Turtle Conservation project has received a 20,000 USD grantfrom the Asian Turtle Preservation Programme in Binh Son district's BinhKhuong commune.

However, the project has been put on holdbecause there is not enough money to compensate villagers for the lossof farming land.

"We are calling for more capital to compensate local people here so they can continue to work the land," Hang said.

The 35-ha area earmarked for the conservation programme has ideal conditions for pond turtles, he said.

Pond turtles are listed by conservation groups as needing special careand protection. They live in wetlands only in Da Nang , Quang Nam ,Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh and Phu Yen but are threatened by urbanisation,which is destroying their natural habitat.

The conservation area would include different zones to encourage turtles to remain and breed.

Under the project, wildlife officials will boost public awareness ofthe need to protect endemic species, while training local authoritystaff on conservation.

About 100 pond turtles (Annamenysannamensis) currently being reared at Cuc Phuong National Park 'sTurtle Conservation Centre will be introduced to the designatedconservation area in Binh Khuong Commune when the site has been madeready, Hang said.

The rare turtles are only found inVietnam 's central region. They were thought to be extinct in the wilduntil a few were discovered in the coastal wetlands of central QuangNgai province in 2006. /.