44 Malayan Box Turtles To Be Released Into Forest

Phnom Penh, February 17, 2024 -- 

At least 44 Malayan box turtles will be released in the protected forest in Cambodia to contribute to restoring the ecosystem in the area.

The plan was shared in a news release issued on Feb. 15 by the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB).

ACCB, in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), has been working on a conservation breeding programme for endangered turtle species, including Malayan box turtles.

Some of their offspring, hatched and reared, have reached a size suitable for introduction to the protected forest, added the release.

A joint technical team conducted health assessments of the 44 Malayan box turtles to make sure only those who were healthy would be released.

The Malayan box turtle pilot reintroduction is a collaborative project with the Ministry of Environment, the Fisheries Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, ACCB, and WCS, with support from the Alan and Patricia Koval Foundation and Allwetterzoo Munster.