Talkback
A viral video yesterday on a turtle sanctuary in Terengganu made waves on social media, but for all the wrong reasons. The video showed a fully grown sea turtle devouring a hatchling which it was sharing a pool with. The other hatchlings then proceeded to consume the remains of the dead hatchling. This led to questions over the wisdom of having private resorts run their own conservation centres, well-intentioned as they may be. What are your views? These resorts mean well, but this case is an example as to why conservation efforts should be left to the experts. Conservation efforts aren’t just as simple as providing food and living accommodation for rescued wildlife but involve more than that. When you don’t have expert feedback, mistakes tend to occur and it could lead to loss of lives. We should work with the experts to ensure that everything is above board.
YUVAJ K I feel for this resort operator. They no doubt have the best intentions in mind but sometimes, certain things are overlooked. In this case, an adult sea turtle is left in a pond with other hatchlings. Some animals tend to eat the young and that’s exactly what happened. Sea turtles are rare, and the loss of even one hatchling is something that is to be mourned.
ABDULLAH AHMAD I think the authorities should not be so quick to take action against the resort. I think they are doing a great job and actually took the initiative to care for these beautiful creatures. And I don’t think that anyone can accuse them of abusing the animals. Educate them, work with them, don’t punish them. The authorities need all the help they can get. Don’t make enemies of those who are chasing the same goal.
KAREN HO I think these things should be viewed on a case-by-case basis. In this case, I don’t think it was that bad. Divers familiar with this place also vouch for this resort and their conservation efforts. What we should be focusing on are the mini zoos that are still in existence in some parts of the country. Now that is something that needs to be eradicated. The pictures of some of these zoos still haunt me to this day.
UMM HAIDAR