200 critically endangered royal turtle eggs collected

A TEAM from the Fisheries Administration (FiA) and Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Cambodia said they have collected 206 royal turtle eggs from 20 clutches in the past two months.

A February 14 social media post from WCS Cambodia said that since January, the turtles, which are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, have laid eggs on an artificial sand bank beside a breeding pond at the Koh Kong Reptile Conservation Centre (KKRCC).

A camera trap revealed that the eggs were laid between 8pm and 4am.

According to the NGO, the southern river terrapin (batagur affinis), known as the Royal turtle in Cambodia, is one of the world’s 25 most endangered freshwater turtles or tortoises.

“These remarkable creatures have been nesting in captivity for four consecutive years. Our team expects to collect more eggs from captive turtles during the 2024 nesting season, which began in January and will continue through March,” WCS said.

It said KKRCC is taking care of 268 Royal turtles, including 118 hatchlings from 2023. WCS thanked Mandai Nature, the Alan and Patricia Koval Foundation, Rain Forest Trust, and the Turtle Survival Alliance for their unwavering support for the conservation efforts.

Thorn Phon, coordinator for the NGO’s Royal Turtle and Siamese Crocodile Management and Conservation Project, called for more cooperation to conserve the rare reptiles.

He said protecting their habitats and stopping illegal fishing, along with other interruptions through human activity, are essential to the animals’ protection.

Khvay Atitya, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, explained that the Royal turtle has been an official symbol of Cambodia since 2005.

“I appreciate the protection efforts of the staff at the KKRCC. They have ensured that the wild population has increased in the turtle’s natural habitat,” he said.