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Cambodia Discovers Nest of Critically Endangered 'Royal Turtles'

Cambodia Discovers Nest of Critically Endangered 'Royal Turtles'
WCS/The Phnom Penh Post | Royal Turtles

Wildlife experts in Cambodia have discovered a nest with 16 eggs built by the nearly extinct “royal turtle”, in the first such discovery this year, the non-profit Wildlife Conservation (WCS) Society said on Monday.

The royal turtle, known also as the southern river terrapin, was designated as Cambodia’s national reptile in 2005. It was believed to be extinct until it was rediscovered in the river in 2000. Only three nests have been found in the past two years. 

“Despite success after the species was re-discovered in 2000, the royal turtle is still at high risk of extinction,” said Som Sitha, WCS’s technical adviser.

The Royal turtle eggs are found by members of the non-profit Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) at Sre Ambel in Koh Kong province, Cambodia February 3, 2018. Image: REUTERS/In hul/WCS Cambodia Handout via Reuters
The Royal turtle eggs are found by members of the non-profit Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) at Sre Ambel in Koh Kong province, Cambodia February 3, 2018. Image: REUTERS/In hul/WCS Cambodia Handout via Reuters

 

As reported in Reuters, it is one of the world’s 25 most endangered freshwater turtles.

So named because it is thought that only members of the royal family were allowed to eat the eggs in the past, WCS says the royal turtle is currently threatened by clearance of flooded forests, illegal fishing and the illicit wildlife trade.

Wildlife rangers in the southwestern province of Koh Kong, where the eggs were discovered along a river by villagers and conservationists, including the WCS, are guarding them until they hatch, the conservation group said in a statement.

Image:
The Royal turtle eggs are found by members of the non-profit Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) at Sre Ambel in Koh Kong province, Cambodia February 3, 2018. Image: REUTERS/In hul/WCS Cambodia Handout via Reuters

 

Fisheries official In Hul, a WCS project coordinator, said the reptile’s breeding period spans from January to March.

“If we find a nest, we will work with the local community to protect it until the eggs hatch and then bring the hatchlings to Koh Kong Reptile Conservation Center where they will be cared for until they are mature and can be released back to the wild,” Hul said to The Phnom Penh Post.

Currently there’s no estimate of the population of royal turtles, but a recent count of females in the Sre Ambel river system found fewer than 10, according WCS’s Mengey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indah Gilang Pusparani

Indah is a researcher at Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Penelitian dan Pengembangan Daerah Kota Cirebon (Regional Development Planning and Research Agency of Cirebon Municipality). She covers More international relations, tourism, and startups in Southeast Asia region and beyond. Indah graduated from MSc Development Administration and Planning from University College London, United Kingdom in 2015. She finished bachelor degree from International Relations from University of Indonesia in 2014, with two exchange programs in Political Science at National University of Singapore and New Media in Journalism at Ball State University, USA. She was awarded Diplomacy Award at Harvard World Model United Nations and named as Indonesian Gifted Researcher by Australian National University. She is Researcher at Regional Planning Board in Cirebon, West Java. She previously worked as Editor in Bening Communication, the Commonwealth Parliament Association UK, and diplomacy consulting firm Best Delegate LLC in USA. Less
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