‘Futile to re-hatch seized turtle eggs’

KOTA KINABALU: Trying to re-hatch some 2,600 turtle eggs recently seized during an operation in Sandakan will be futile, said experts.

Marine biologist Ric Owen said this was because turtle eggs were very sensitive and fragile.

“Once hatched by the mother turtle, eggs cannot be tipped upside down or come into contact with sunlight. These have to be kept at a certain temperature to ensure that the embryos don’t die.

“Most of the time when the turtle eggs are poached, they are wrongly handled and almost immediately, the eggs are dead.

“So, unless you’re lucky, the chances of the eggs hatching are zero,” said Owen, who is also a dive operator based in Mabul island, Semporna.

The eggs were seized during an operation along the coastal areas of Kg Forest in Sandakan at about 4am on Tuesday. Two suspects managed to escape when they saw enforcement officers approaching.

Sabah Wildlife director William Baya said the seized eggs were kept at its office, adding that tests would be carried out on the eggs to see if any could be re-hatched.

“It may not be possible as from past expe­riences that I am aware of, no eggs that have been taken out of the nests and seized by enforcement have re-hatched,” he said.