KEMAMAN: A total of 690 juvenile river terrapins (Batagur affinis) have been released into the Kemaman River to commemorate Malaysia’s 69th National Day.
The release was conducted by the Terengganu-based Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS) as part of its annual mass release of 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, the species is found only in Kedah, Perak, Terengganu and Pahang.
“It was the culmination of another busy nesting season, during which our team collected more than 1,600 eggs throughout February and March,” said TCS co-founder Dr Chen Pelf Nyok at the event last Saturday.
Also present were Croatian Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Ivan Velimir Starcevic and Air Putih assemblyman Mohd Hafiz Adam.
The eggs were collected around Kampung Pasir Gajah, along the Kemaman River.
“This year, 1,673 eggs were collected and then incubated for around three months (sometimes up to 100 days), and we managed to see 1,254 hatchlings emerge,” Chen said.
The hatchlings were then raised in a protected hatchery environment for four to five months through a headstarting programme, giving them time to toughen up prior to their release at Pasir Gajah in this annual event, which dates back to 2012.
Last year, 680 hatchlings were set free at the same spot, making this year’s release the largest ever conducted on a single day.
In addition to the annual release, TCS conducts smaller terrapin releases throughout the year in partnership with corporations and other organisations that support its work.
This year’s mass release also featured various activities jointly organised by TCS, the village development and security committee of Pasir Gajah and the Pasir Gajah Neighbourhood Watch.
The conservation work carried out throughout the year is supported by grants from the Turtle Survival Alliance and the Asian Species Action Partnership.
In 2025, TCS collected 1,825 river terrapin eggs for incubation, releasing 1,134 hatchlings, compared to 1,506 eggs collected in 2024.
“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.
To date, 13,224 eggs have been incubated and over 8,000 hatchlings have been released into the wild since the programme’s inception in 2012.
