A female Southern River Terrapin (Batagur affinis edwardmolli), also known as the Royal Turtle, with a severely fractured shell, likely caused by the propeller of a speed boat or sand mining ship, has been rescued.
The turtle was spotted by a fisherman living along the Sre Ambel River System in Koh Kong province on Nov. 16, said on Tuesday WCS Cambodia in a news release, adding that the fisherman rescued the turtle and handed it over to the local WCS conservation team.
The animal was identified as an individual released into the Sre Ambel River System late November 2021, as part of the Royal Turtle Conservation project implemented by WCS in partnership with the Fisheries Administration (FiA), it pointed out.
Due to the severity of its injuries, the source continued the WCS team, in collaboration with the FiA, and after consultation with the Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB), decided that it would be best to transfer the turtle to the ACCB, Siem Reap province, for thorough examination and treatment.
According to the news release, although the injury is severe, it seems to be old and a lot of healed tissue appears on the fracture area. The turtle is receiving treatment for its injuries at ACCB and although it will take a long time for natural healing, X-rays don’t show reason for additional concern. It’s incredible what a turtle can sustain and survive.
The Royal Turtle was designated as the national reptile of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The species is classified as globally Critically Endangered on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and protected by CITES and Cambodia’s Law on Fisheries against catching, selling, transporting and trading.
Source: Agency Kampuchea Press