444 Rare Giant Turtle Eggs Found This Season

Kratie: 13 nests with 444 rare turtle eggs, were found by conservationists

According to the WCS cambodia Facebook page, conservationists the nests on the banks of the Mekong River in Kratie province from the beginning of the breeding season between November 2019 to January 2020.

The Asian giant soft shelled turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) is an endangered species, which was thought to be extinct on the Mekong River in Cambodia, but in 2007 was re-discovered along a 48 km stretch between Kratie and Stung Treng by the International Conservation and Fisheries Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The turtle nesting program was implemented by WCS in cooperation with fishing communities in Sambor, Kratie and Siem Pang districts, Stung Treng and the Fisheries Administration with financial support from the European Union, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, and Turtle Survival Alliance. NKD