Photo courtesy of TCS.
PETALING JAYA: The largest ever release of river terrapin (Batagur affinis) hatchlings took place at Kemaman River earlier in October, with 680 hatchlings set free after being raised under the care of the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS).
In a statement, society said this release, which also featured a riverside fiesta, was the largest since the project’s inception in 2011.
"In addition to the terrapin release, the event featured a variety of activities jointly organised by the society, the Village Development and Security Committee of Pasir Gajah and the Pasir Gajah Neighbourhood Watch.
"These included awareness exhibitions by the Wildlife and National Parks Department, Zoo Kemaman, the Malaysian Society for Marine Conservation, and the Malaysian Nature Society, as well as fun games, a beaded bracelet workshop for children, a sewing workshop, and a lucky draw," said Dr Chen Pelf Nyok, co-founder and executive director of the Turtle Conservation Society.
In his speech at the event, Datuk Tengku Ahmad Nadzri Tengku Musa, general manager of the Central Terengganu Development Authority, expressed pride in the achievements of the terrapin conservation project, adding that the initiative is not only a research endeavour but also a vital conservation project for a critically endangered species.
“Ketengah has allocated RM200,000 to upgrade the Terrapin Conservation Centre in Kg Pasir Gajah under the Projek Bersepadu Pembangunan Ekonomi Kampung (Prospek) this year,” he said.
He also announced that Ketengah would conduct product development training for local communities to enhance their skills, with 10 female participants selected to receive sewing machines and related equipment worth RM90,000 to help them produce local handicrafts.
Also present at the event were Dr Pazil Abdul Patah, director of Perhilitan's Ex-situ Conservation Division, as well as Jo Lene Sam and Joanna Tan from Yinson Holdings Bhd, who presented a RM12,000 donation to the TCS to support its work on river terrapins.
The river terrapin was one of the world’s most endangered freshwater turtle species.
Listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List and fully protected under Malaysia’s Wildlife Conservation Act 2010, the species occurs naturally only in Kedah, Perak, Terengganu, and Pahang.
“This year, we collected 1,825 river terrapin eggs for incubation, compared to 1,506 eggs last year. This increase is due to stronger enforcement by Perhilitan officers, with support from the local community group known as the Geng Tuntung of Kg Pasir Gajah, who work tirelessly to collect terrapin eggs from six nesting banks along the Kemaman River," said Chen.
Of these, 1,372 hatchlings successfully emerged and were raised for four months before release,” said Chen, who was the recipient of the Commonwealth Point of Light Award for Malaysia conferred by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2018 in recognition of her contributions to river terrapin conservation at Kemaman River, which is a collaborative effort with Perhilitan and the local community.
To date, 11,551 eggs have been incubated, and over 6,000 hatchlings have been released into the wild.
