How a village in Kemaman is giving one of the world's rarest turtles a fighting chance
FOR the people of Kampung Pasir Gajah, Kemaman, there were 690 reasons to celebrate on Oct 3. That was the number of river terrapin hatchlings released into the Kemaman River, the largest single release since the village’s conservation project began in 2011.
On October 3, the village of Kampung Pasir Gajah in Kemaman, Malaysia, celebrated the release of 690 river terrapin hatchlings into the Kemaman River. This marked the largest single release since the village's conservation project began in 2011. Organized by the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS), the event was a testament to the community's collective effort in protecting one of the world's most endangered freshwater turtle species.
The river terrapin, Batagur affinis, is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The conservation project's success is rooted in the meticulous process of collecting and hatching eggs, with a success rate of about three out of every four eggs. Throughout the year, teams worked tirelessly to incubate 1,673 eggs, raise 1,254 hatchlings for four months, and then release them into the wild.
This record release was part of a broader effort that has seen 13,224 eggs incubated and over 8,000 terrapins released since the project's inception. The event, held during Malaysia's 69th National Day celebration, featured family games, children's activities, and conservation awareness initiatives. Local officials emphasized the project's role in promoting environmental conservation, community empowerment, and sustainable tourism.
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