Endangered Turtle Released Into Cambodian River
January 20, 2012 – 1:45 pm
Conservation agencies have released one of the most endangered turtles — a Southern River Terrapin — back into the wild, with officials, conservationists, and local residents attending the release ceremony on January 16.
The release was first announced Monday by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the Cambodian Fisheries Administration and Wildlife Reserves Singapore. The 75-pound female turtle was released into the Sre Ambel River in Cambodia, outfitted with a satellite tracking tag, to allow researchers to monitor the turtle’s movements in the wild, according to a WCS press release.
The released turtle is one of only 200 Southern River Terrapins remaining in Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia, and only one of fewer than ten nesting females in the Sre Ambel River, according to estimates from PhysOrg.
Read the full story from RedOrbit.
Image Caption: This photo shows the release of the Southern River terrapin at a ceremony on the Sre Ambel River in Cambodia attended by representatives of WCS, Cambodia’s Fisheries Administration’s Conservation Department, the Singapore Embassy, and local officials. The turtle has been equipped with a satellite tag, which will allow WCS conservationists to track it. Credit: Eleanor Briggs
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