16 May 2007 - Phnom Penh,
Cambodia – One of the world’s largest and
least studied freshwater turtles has been
found in Cambodia’s Mekong River, raising
hopes that the threatened species can be
saved from extinction.
Scientists from WWF, Conservation International,
the Cambodian Fisheries Administration and
the Cambodian Turtle Conservation Team captured
an 11-kilogramme (24.2-pound) female Cantor’s
giant soft-shell turtle during a recent
river survey.
“This incredible discovery means that a
unique turtle can be saved from disappearing
from our planet,” said David Emmett, a wildlife
biologist at Conservation International.
“We thought it might be almost gone, but
found a number of them on this one pristine
stretch of the Mekong, making the area the
world’s most important site for saving this
particular species.”
Stuck in the mud
Instead of an exterior shell commonly associated
with turtles, the Cantor’s giant soft-shell
turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) has a rubbery
skin with ribs fused together to form a
protective layer over the internal organs.
To protect itself from predators, it spends
95 per cent of its life hidden in sand or
mud with only its eyes and nose showing.
The turtle can grow up to 2 metres (6 feet)
in length and weigh more than 50 kilogrammes
(110 pounds). It also possesses long claws
and can extend its neck with lightning speed
to bite with jaws powerful enough to crush
bone.
“It has the fastest strike of any animal
I’ve ever seen, including cobras,” Emmett
added.
The researchers also found a nesting ground
for the species and brought back eggs that
have since hatched. The hatchlings were
released into the wild on 8 May, together
with another adult turtle and additional
hatchlings captured by fishermen.
Last observed by scientists in the wild
in Cambodia in 2003, only a few records
of the species exist for Laos, and it appears
to have disappeared across much of its former
range in Vietnam and Thailand.
It is currently classified as Endangered
on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species,
the same status as tigers and pandas. Threats
to its existence include over-harvesting
by hunters for its meat and eggs, as well
as habitat destruction from dams, irrigation
and dredging.
River survey
The stretch of Mekong River where the turtles
were found is an area that had been closed
for many years to scientific exploration
because it was one the last strongholds
of Cambodia's former Khmer Rouge regime.
The river survey was the first detailed
study of the area since security restrictions
were relaxed in the late 11000s.
“Our survey work to date has documented
some of the highest freshwater biodiversity
values in the entire Lower Mekong Basin,”
said Mark Bezuijen of WWF’s Mekong Programme,
who led the team.
“During our survey we also discovered an
entirely new plant species, Amorphophallus
Sp., along with populations of such threatened
species as terns, fish eagles, green peafowl,
otters and silvered leaf-monkeys. More than
180 fish species were recorded, including
one identified as a new species of spiny
eel.
Bezuijen described the area where the turtle
was discovered as “a near pristine region
of tall riverine forest, waterways and island
archipelagos where further exciting biological
discoveries will almost certainly be made.”
A further survey of the area by an international
team of flora and fauna experts is planned
for July 2007.
• For the future protection of the species,
Conservation International, WWF and the
Cambodian Turtle Conservation Team plan
to employ local community members to protect
nesting beaches for the turtles and to conduct
patrols during the dry season to prevent
illegal fishing of the species prized as
an expensive delicacy in neighboring Vietnam.
The organizations will also provide the
communities with financial incentives to
offset the potential loss of revenue from
illegal trade in the turtles.
• The turtle survey team consisted of Cambodian
Fisheries Administration staff and the Cambodian
Turtle Conservation Team, a group of early
career conservationists who have received
long-term mentoring from Conservation International
(with funding from the British energy company
BP). During the survey, they worked also
worked closely with WWF staff and local
fishing communities.
Chris Greenwood, Communications Advisor
WWF Cambodia
