VENEZUELA: In record breaking conservation effort thousands of turtles are released into the wild

Record ID: 862849

  • Title: VENEZUELA: In record breaking conservation effort thousands of turtles are released into the wild
  • Date: 1st May 2003
  • Summary: (L!1) PLAYA DEL MEDIO, VENEZUELA (RECENT) (REUTERS) TURTLE RUNNING ACROSS THE BEACH
  • Embargoed: 16th May 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PLAYA DEL MEDIO, VENEZUELA
  • City:
  • Country: Venezuela
  • Topics: Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAB6UKKYLQ77EKLEH57RWIXT67I
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: In what project organisers are calling a record-breaking conservation effort, thousands of turtles have been released into the wild in Venezuela.
    Thousands of endangered Arrau turtles were recently released into the Orinoco River in Venezuela as part of a massive conservation effort.
    The Arrau turtle (Podocnemis expansa), also known as Giant South American river turtles, are side-necked turtles which can grow to weigh over 45 kg (100 lb) and be 90 cm (3 feet) long .
    Native to northern South America, the turtles are endangered because local residents traditionally eat their meat and eggs. Despite the massive conservation efforts, only two cases of poaching were taken to trial in the country in 2002.
    The turtles are considered an endangered species and government conservation projects intend to increase their numbers in their native Orinoco and Amazon river systems.
    The Venezuelan project, which first started releasing turtles into captivity in 1992, has successfully transferred over 100,000 animals to the wild.
    "15,703 baby turtles are being released (now). This is the eleventh release. We've released 120,000 animals (since 1992); this is practically a world record for a conservation program," said project coordinator Omar Hernandez. "There is no species, no program that has liberated so many animals in the environment."
    The turtles nest by travelling in large groups to an area and each turtle lays 90 to 100 eggs on the sandbank before returning to their feeding ground.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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