Main image via AP News + SFS
Since the world has been under lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19, there have been a rising number of cases of rare and endangered turtles taking advantage of the empty beaches to lay their eggs.
Recently, Brazil saw the hatching of almost 100 endangered hawksbill sea turtles, and our very own Port Dickson saw more than 200 turtle eggs were discovered.
Now, conservationists in Cambodia have discovered 49 nests of the rare Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtles with 1,756 eggs!
Image via AP News
The rare turtles’ nest was uncovered on sandbars along the Mekong River in northeast Cambodia’s Kratie and Stung Treng provinces during the nesting season this year, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) noted in a statement.
According to the statement, there were two more nests found than in the 2019 nesting season, but the number of eggs discovered was much higher than in recent years.
As of last week, 824 baby turtles hatches from 41 nests. 657 of the hatchlings were released into the wild and the rest are currently under care for future release.
Image via SFS
Cantor’s Giant Softshell Turtles have been classified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
Until its rediscovery in 2007, the species was thought to be extinct in the Cambodian portion of the Mekong River. The turtles were re-discovered in a 48km stretch of the river in Kratie and Stung Treng provinces.
“With continuous support from our donors and good cooperation from the Fisheries Administration (FiA), plus strong commitments of our field staff and community nest protection team, WCS has made significant progress in implementing its project over the past years,” said Ken Sereyrotha, country program director for WCS Cambodia.
"The increase in number of nests and eggs inspired us to put more efforts on the conservation of this critically endangered species," he added.
"All stakeholders should continue their efforts to conserve the threatened species, and those who still trade protected species will face legal action," said Ouk Vibol, director of the Department of Fisheries Conservation of Fisheries Administration.
Image via Khmer Times
We hope there’ll be more turtles nests discovered in the future as Mother Nature slowly takes back what’s hers.
In the meantime, be sure to keep playing your part by staying safe and staying home, and only going out if it’s absolutely necessary. And if you’re going out, be sure to practice social distancing.
Stay updated with the latest COVID-19 news here: https://en.syok.my/covid-19
Info via The Star