The critically endangered Philippine forest turtle exemplifies the challenges in combating wildlife trafficking. Despite being notoriously difficult to breed in captivity (only successfully bred in 2018), private zoos and breeding facilities frequently advertise them online and falsely label them as captive-bred. TRAFFIC's research has uncovered advertisements for Philippine forest turtles in Chinese and Japanese online marketplaces during the COVID-19 pandemic, showing the persistent international demand. A 2015 seizure recovered 3,921 individuals - a number that exceeded scientific population estimates for the species in the wild, revealing both the severe scale of poaching and gaps in understanding their actual population status.