CAMBODIAN TURTLE RESCUE

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Royal turtle saved from smugglers returns to Cambodia river

 

First posted 10:45pm (Mla time) Dec 16, 2005

Associated Press

 

 

 

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- An endangered Cambodian turtle was returned to the

wild Friday, nearly six months after authorities saved it from becoming a

meal in a Chinese restaurant, official said.

 

Known locally as the " Royal Turtle " in Cambodia because its eggs were once

fed to kings, the turtle was released into a river in southwestern Cambodia

during a ceremony attended by local and foreign wildlife conservationists,

said Heng Sovannara, director of turtle conservation project at Cambodia's

Agriculture Ministry.

 

The turtle appeared healthy and gained one kilogram (2.2 pounds) following

six months of treatment for a variety of ailments, officials said.

 

" He was in excellent shape and strong. He swam quickly away once we put it

in the river, " Heng Sovannara said. " He did not even raise his head to look

back. No bye, bye. "

 

The turtle was recovered six months ago along with 30 other common species

during a raid on the smuggler's house in southern Vietnam's Tay Ninh

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Noticing the Royal Turtle was bigger than the rest, wildlife officials

consulted an endangered species book and realized that it was a Batagur

baska or Asian river terrapin.

 

The Batagur baska was though to have disappeared in Cambodia until it was

rediscovered in 2001. Conservationists eventually began tagging the animals

with tracking devices and monitoring their nests, and King Norodom Sihamoni

personally ordered their protection.

 

When officials inspected the turtle in Ho Chi Minh City, they found a tiny

microchip implanted under its wrinkly skin, pinpointing its exact home on

the Sre Ambel River in southern Cambodia.

 

Vietnamese and Cambodians officials worked together to repatriate the

turtle.

 

Conservationist have said there are only about two to eight females

remaining there, making the return of this adult male turtle even more

vital. It had been tagged in Cambodia for research two years ago but not

seen again until its discovery in Vietnam.

 

Many Asian turtles are in danger because of the thriving trade in animals in

the region, where a species' rarity can add to its value in soups in China

or as a traditional medicine.

 

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