Terrapin Conservation

Terengganu

River terrapins, some of the amazing creatures that share our earth. Unfortunately, their numbers are dropping and they are listed as critically endangered in the 2009 IUCN Red List. This is because they are poached for their meat and their eggs are eaten by predators such as ants, snakes, monitor lizards, etc. including humans. Terrapin eggs used to be sold at certain markets here in Malaysia but are now not as openly sold thanks to laws protecting them.

A male freshwater river terrapin at the Kuala Berang Wildlife Conservation Centre in Kuala Berang, Terengganu.

Another reason for the drop in their numbers is the destruction of their habitats due to dam building, sand mining, pollution, etc. Seeing a decline in their numbers; the Kuala Berang Wildlife Conservation Centre was set up by Perhilitan (Department of Wildlife and Natural Parks) back in 1976 to boost their numbers. Eggs are collected along nesting sand banks of some of the rivers where they live in and are reburied here at the incubation centre. The eggs are then incubated for 60 to 70 days.

A male freshwater river terrapin on the right and a female on the left.

Hatchlings are then placed in certain pools (or tanks) and are transferred to different pools as they grow. This is to better their survival rates as larger terrapins do attack and kill smaller terrapins. When the hatchlings are big enough to be released, they will be brought back to the site where they (as eggs) were initially found. Here they will be released back into the wild.

Different pools for terrapins of different sizes or ages, and place of origin.

This project has been a success. Over the years the conservation centre brought up the numbers of terrapins in the wild. More nesting terrapins have been reported at various nesting sites as well. There are even more nesting sites now compared to years ago. The number of eggs collected for incubation is also encouraging.

Information about hatchlings in this pool. There are 464 terrapins here. They are from Lubuk Kawah.

Terrapin nesting season starts in February and lasts till April. To ensure the success of this project, the Kuala Berang Wildlife Conservation Centre work closely with the local villages. Instead of selling the terrapin eggs, villagers who collect them are given an allowance when the eggs are brought to the centre. The success of the river terrapin conservation initiative is very encouraging. There are now more river terrapin conservation centres around Malaysia.