Rangers win praise for ‘heavy tortoise mission’ in forest

Wildlife rangers at Si Phang Nga National Park have won public praise for taking turns carrying a 20-kilogramme Asian forest tortoise back into the forest after it wandered towards a nearby community.

“The patrol was not in vain. In addition to protecting the forest, the officials successfully returned Uncle Tao Hok to his natural habitat,” the national park in the southern province of Phangnga posted on Facebook on Friday.

The endangered species, locally known as “Tao Hok”, is typically found in mountainous areas and tropical rainforests in southern, northern and western Thailand.

An Asian forest tortoise spotted outside its safe habitat in Phangnga.

A local resident alerted park officials after spotting the tortoise after it wandered out of the forest.

Weighing more than 20 kilogrammes, the animal required several officers to take turns carrying it back into the depths of the forest.

A series of photos documenting the mission attracted widespread attention online, receiving more than 9,000 likes.

Many commenters joked that the tortoise might have spent a long time making its way towards the community, only to have to start the journey all over again.

The park did not specify how far the rangers carried the tortoise back into the forest.