Endangered hatchlings freed on World Turtle Day

Myrtle and friends: The turtles that were relased into the Mekong River in Kratie province. — The Phnom Penh Post/ANN

TO mark World Turtle Day, Wildlife Conservation Society Cambodia (WCS Cambodia) – in collaboration with the Fisheries Administration (FiA) – celebrated the conservation of the critically endangered Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtles (Pelochelys cantorii) by releasing 580 hatchlings into the wild along the Mekong River in Kratie province’s Sambour district.

WCS country director Ken Serey Rotha told The Post on May 23 that this was not the first time the WCS and the FiA had co-organised a programme to release the hatchlings.

The programme has been running for 15 years, since researchers discovered a large population of the rare animals along the banks of the Mekong River in Stung Treng and Kratie provinces.

“We released 580 hatchlings on May 23 to mark World Turtle Day – as the turtles are under threat from poaching and trafficking,” he said.

In a report, WCS Cambodia said that in 2021, this species was considered under threat from illegal hunting and trafficking.

The report said that with continuous support from donors – and cooperation from the FiA – plus the commitment of its field staff and nest protection team, WCS Cambodia has made significant progress in conserving this critically endangered species. The hatchlings conservation project was funded by the EU, through the Margaret A Cargill Philanthropies and the Turtle Survival Alliance.

Serey Rotha added that since 2007, the team has found and maintained 627 nests and released 13,255 hatchlings into natural shelters along the Mekong River. — The Phnom Penh Post/ANN