Archive for June 2015
Turtle Surveys Conducted in Comal Springs
by Heather Lowe In May, the North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group (NAFTRG) conducted turtle surveys in Comal Springs (New Braunfels, Texas) for the second time in 2015. In all, the group has been sampling this site for more than three years now. During the trip, the weather proved to be a real challenge and made…
Read MoreMore Spotted Pond Turtles Rescued
by Heather Lowe In June, 63 Spotted Pond Turtles (Geoclemyshamiltonii) were rescued from the illegal wildlife trade in India. In coordination with Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra Forest Department, the TSA-India Team transferred the turtles to the Kukrail Gharial and Turtle Rehabilitation Center (KGTRC) in Lucknow. The previous month, the TSA-India team had participated in the repatriation of…
Read MoreFirst Turtles Hatch in Belize
by Heather Barrett Over a five-day period in mid-June, seven Central American River Turtles (Dermatemys mawii) hatched at the Hicatee Conservation and Research Center (HCRC). These are the first hatchlings in the captive breeding program established by the TSA at the HCRC based at the BFREE Field Station in southern Belize. Locally known as Hicatee, D. mawii is…
Read MorePhilippines Crisis Becoming Manageable
by Heather Lowe TSA’s Director of Animal Management Cris Hagen was the first member of the Turtle Survival Alliance staff to arrive in Palawan. After a week on site, Cris reports that “things are finally calming down and I think the general madness is over.” Since arriving, Cris has been helping to release turtles as they…
Read MoreCrisis in the Philippines: Update from the Field
by Rick Hudson On Friday June 19, the turtle conservation community woke up to a nightmare: 3,800 critically endangered Philippine Forest Turtles (Siebenrockiella leytensis) confiscated in a Chinese warehouse in Palawan and in need of immediate assistance. The images were shocking, sickening: turtles being moved by the truckload to a rescue center not prepared to hold them.…
Read MoreCrisis in the Philippines
by Heather Lowe Dear Members and Friends, Our message today is so urgent, and so important to the continued survival of a critically endangered species, that we are jointly requesting your help alongside our friends at the Turtle Conservancy, Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, and the Turtle Conservation Fund. Yesterday, authorities in Palawan confiscated more…
Read MoreIndia, Spotted Pond Turtle (Geoclemys hamiltoni)
by Heather Lowe Each year, May 23 is celebrated around the globe as World Turtle Day®. The initiative, started by the American Tortoise Rescue in 2000, is an annual observance meant to raise awareness of turtles and tortoises, their welfare and their increasingly threatened habitats.Turtles have existed for over 220 million years, outliving their contemporaries the…
Read MoreSpotted Pond Turtles Return Home
by Heather Lowe TSA-India had a big reason to celebrate on World Turtle Day. In coordination with the Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra forest department and the Thane Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), TSA-India assisted in the repatriation of 335 Spotted Pond Turtles (Geoclemys hamiltonii). The animals, which were illegally collected, were rescued over…
Read MoreThe Extinction Clock is Ticking
by Heather Lowe In May, the conservation community took a historic step to save the Yangtze Giant Softshell Turtle from extinction. The last known female of the species was artificially inseminated after years of laying clutch after clutch of infertile eggs. As the conservation community holds its collective breath, the extinction clock is ticking.
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