Malaysia's fight to save rare turtle
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- unclepete
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The BBC's Robin Brant looks at Malaysia's efforts to save one of the world's most endangered marine animals, the hawksbill turtle, from the humans who eat its eggs.
She is only a few centimetres long and she is covered in specks of sand. Her eyes are barely open. Born in captivity, the next few hours are going to be hectic for this baby hawksbill turtle. Hatched from ping-pong ball-sized eggs, the turtles break through the sand that covers their nest.
As they scurry around a man from the hatchery plucks them out, counts them, then gently drops them into a white polystyrene box for the short trip to the beach. He finds a spot, a few metres from where the waves are lapping up on to the sand. Slowly, he turns the box on its side. Then, with a torch, he uses the light to lure the turtles out towards the waters of the Straits of Melaka off the western Malaysian coast.
The straits and the Indian Ocean beyond await them. But most will die young. The survival rate is atrocious - only 1 in 1,000 will make it from egg to adulthood. "The outlook...particularly with Malaysia, with regard to the lack of conservation efforts, is not good at all," says Mark Aluyia from the illegal trade monitoring group Traffic. "There is a distinct decline to be observed."
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For centuries locals have consumed the eggs as a delicacy, or simply as a source of protein. The Fisheries Department said it still happened in this part of Malaysia, but that it was rare. "Of course there are maybe one or two...but it is getting less now," said Robert Leong of the department. But that is not what those working on the conservation effort say. An expert at an organisation working in Malaysia said that it estimated one in three eggs were stolen from nests for consumption. It used to be as high as one in two.
(continued at link w/ video)
She is only a few centimetres long and she is covered in specks of sand. Her eyes are barely open. Born in captivity, the next few hours are going to be hectic for this baby hawksbill turtle. Hatched from ping-pong ball-sized eggs, the turtles break through the sand that covers their nest.
As they scurry around a man from the hatchery plucks them out, counts them, then gently drops them into a white polystyrene box for the short trip to the beach. He finds a spot, a few metres from where the waves are lapping up on to the sand. Slowly, he turns the box on its side. Then, with a torch, he uses the light to lure the turtles out towards the waters of the Straits of Melaka off the western Malaysian coast.
The straits and the Indian Ocean beyond await them. But most will die young. The survival rate is atrocious - only 1 in 1,000 will make it from egg to adulthood. "The outlook...particularly with Malaysia, with regard to the lack of conservation efforts, is not good at all," says Mark Aluyia from the illegal trade monitoring group Traffic. "There is a distinct decline to be observed."
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For centuries locals have consumed the eggs as a delicacy, or simply as a source of protein. The Fisheries Department said it still happened in this part of Malaysia, but that it was rare. "Of course there are maybe one or two...but it is getting less now," said Robert Leong of the department. But that is not what those working on the conservation effort say. An expert at an organisation working in Malaysia said that it estimated one in three eggs were stolen from nests for consumption. It used to be as high as one in two.
(continued at link w/ video)
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- Community, Green, Earth and Science
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- News, Green, Earth and Science, Malaysia, 5 more
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themanwithadog
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I have actally touched a leatherback turtle and the experience was of warmth for the creature as he or she was very docile.
They are gentle.
They should be protected.
They harm no one
- 3 years ago
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themanwithadog
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AxeRFJ
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Im glad to hear this.
Long live the turtles!
- 3 years ago
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AxeRFJ
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karnathis
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Turtles are fascinating creatures. I am glad an effort to help them is underway.
- 3 years ago
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karnathis
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