Into the wild:Some of the hatchlings set to be released at the annual river terrapin release event in Kemaman, Terengganu.
KEMAMAN: The Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS) has set free 670 river terrapins in Sungai Kemaman here, making it the largest ever since the annual release event began.
The river terrapins were hatchlings aged from four to five months.
A critically endangered freshwater turtle species, the river terrapin (batagur affinis) is listed as a totally protected species in the Wildlife Conservation Act.
In Malaysia, it is found only in Kedah, Perak and Terengganu.
Chen releasing a river terrapin hatchling at Sungai Kemaman.
The annual river terrapin release event was held in Kg Pasir Gajah here early last month, TCS said in a statement.
The event also saw supporting activities from TCS, the Pasir Gajah federal village development and security committee, and Komuniti Rukun Tetangga Pasir Gajah.
It included a public awareness exhibition by the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) and the Kemaman Zoo.
“This year, a total of 1,506 terrapin eggs were collected for incubation, compared with 1,012 eggs last year,” said TCS co-founder and executive director Dr Chen Pelf Nyok.
She said the increase was due to more enforcement efforts by officers from Perhilitan, with the cooperation of “terrapin guardians” who comprised residents from Kg Pasir Gajah.
“They would patrol the terrapin nesting banks along the Kemaman river and secure the eggs for incubation,” said Chen.
A total of 1,178 terrapin hatchlings were successfully hatched, and they were raised for four to five months before their release, she added.
Chen was the recipient of the Commonwealth Point of Light award for Malaysia, which was awarded by the late Queen Elizabeth II, for her terrapin conservation efforts.
The river terrapin conservation project in Kemaman was started in 2011.
It is a collaboration between TCS, Perhilitan and the terrapin guardians of Kg Pasir Gajah.
To date, a total of 9,726 terrapin eggs have since been saved from human consumption, and about 6,000 hatchlings have been released into Sungai Kemaman.
In his speech, Perhilitan deputy director-general for conservation Datuk Fakhrul Hatta Musa said he was proud of the Kg Pasir Gajah river terrapin project because it is not only a research project, but also a conservation project for a critically endangered species.
The projects, he said, are parallel to the terrapin conservation efforts carried out by Perhilitan at the national level.
“My hope is that the centre and the river terrapin project will continue to be successful,” he said.
Also present was Chan See Aun, Watsons’ regional manager for sales operations, who presented a donation of RM43,500 on behalf of Watsons to TCS to support its conservation efforts.
