The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Fisheries Administration (FiA) inaugurated a new breeding facility for the Royal Turtle at the Koh Kong Reptile Conservation Centre (KKRCC) in Koh Kong province late last week.
The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries H.E. Dith Tina and the Governor of Koh Kong province H.E. Mrs. Mithona Phouthorng, with the participation of senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Fisheries Administration (and Cantonments), local authorities from Koh Kong and Preah Sihanouk provinces, local communities, and representatives from Mandai Nature, one of the donors supporting the conservation of Royal Turtles and Siamese Crocodiles at KKRCC and the Sre Ambel River System.
KKRCC is located in Toul Korki Leu village, Toul Korki commune, Mondul Seima district, Koh Kong province. The centre is important for the conservation of Royal Turtles and Siamese Crocodiles because it provides a safe environment for nurturing, breeding, and hatching the endangered animals until they are ready to be released into their natural habitat in the Sre Ambel River System.
According to the WCS Cambodia, during the inauguration ceremony, the distinguished guests also released 20 Royal Turtles into the Sre Ambel River System. Twelve of these turtles were fitted with acoustic transmitters at the rear carapace, allowing project personnel to monitor and track their movements, survivorship, and habitat utilisation. This reintroduction and post-release monitoring programme is a vital component of restoring a viable population of this globally threatened species in the wild.
This release is part of a Royal Turtle Conservation project supported by Mandai Nature, Rainforest Trust, Allan and Patricia Koval Foundation, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, USAID Conserve, and Turtle Survival Alliance, implemented by WCS in partnership with the Fisheries Administration (FiA), said the source.
