Endangered turtles bred in captivity lay eggs in Cambodia

World

Published: 2021-03-03 11:37

Last Updated: 2024-03-27 04:16


Endangered turtles bred in captivity lay eggs in Cambodia
Endangered turtles bred in captivity lay eggs in Cambodia

Wednesday, endangered Royal Turtles bred in captivity in Cambodia, once thought to be extinct, laid 71 eggs for the first time, in a massive win for animal protection in the Kingdom.

The reptile was among five Royal Turtles once feared to be extinct in the country.

Cambodia is home to several species of endangered turtles whose numbers have dwindled due to demand for them in both Vietnam and China as delicacies and for medicinal use.

Royal Turtles, previously known as Southern River Terrapins, were pushed to the brink of extinction through hunting and sand mining, which destroys the location in which they lay their eggs.

In the year 2000, the damage was so severe that they were feared to be wiped out in Cambodia, before nests were found and conservation efforts began.

Tuesday, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) announced that four Royal Turtles bred in captivity, and one that was found in the wild and handed to WCS, successfully laid 71 eggs.

WCS's project manager Som Sitha said, "It's the first time that the captive female Royal Turtles have ever laid eggs since they were head-started at the centre in 2006."

In order to protect the eggs, the team will make artifical nests for the incubation purposes and leave them as is.

Given the rarity of the turtles, the successful egg laying is considered a massive win for Cambodia.

A member at WCS Steven Platt said that he anticipated soon to be able to produce large numbers of Royal Turtles in captivity and release them back into the wild.

Since conservation efforts began, scores of Royal Turtles have been released back into the wild.

Koh Kong Reptile Conservation Centre, Cambodia's only dedicated turtle conservation facility, currently holds 192 Royal Turtles, and plans to release 50 of them this year.