A Philippine box turtle with a damaged shell was handed over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Ilocos Norte.
The turtle was handed over by John Alconcher, a resident, of San Nicolas.
The turtle, found near Alconcher's home, had a noticeable wound on its brown, tribal-patterned shell, suspected to be from a sharp object.
The DENR transported the turtle to a mini zoo in Barangay Calayab, Laoag City, where it will be temporarily housed before being released back into its natural habitat.
The Philippine box turtle, a newly identified species, is commonly found in local forests.
