11-year-old Royal Turtle Recently Found Dead in Cambodia

Koh Kong─ With a very small population remaining, one of the rare Royal Turtles was found dead recently in the Sre Ambel area, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

The dead turtle, which was known to be an adult female Royal Turtle with, 11 years old, and weighs around 9kg, was discovered by a fisherman along the Kaong River, Sre Ambel District, in Koh Kong province.

The team of Fisheries Administration (FiA) together with WCS, believed that the cause of the Royal Turtle’s death was due to illegal electro-fishing, judging by the marls on its head.

Cambodia’s Royal Turtle, also known as the Southern River Terrapin (Batagur affinis), was classified as Cambodia’s National Reptile by Royal Decree in 2005 and is one of the world’s most endangered species that has been facing high risk of extinction.

It is a very saddening to lose this national’s reptile as it is being critically endangered. Thus, it is important for the authorities as well as the citizens, especially fishermen, to start strengthening the regulations regarding the protection of the Royal Turtles and unify to eliminate the use of illegal electro-fishing in order to protect and preserve all of the wildlife out there.

The dead Royal Turtle was found