Endangered Asian Giant Softshell Turtle Found in Cambodia’s Mekong River Region

Endangered Asian Giant Softshell Turtle Found in Cambodia’s Mekong River Region

The New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) reported that a nest of the Asian giant softshell turtle (scientific name: Pelochelys cantorii) was discovered on a sandbar along the Mekong River in the Kratie and Stung Treng region of northeastern Cambodia.

The Asian giant softshell turtle has been reported as “endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the newly identified site is believed to be virtually the only remaining nesting ground for the turtle in Cambodia.

The giant turtle can reach 1.8 meters in length and is also known as the world’s largest freshwater turtle.

In addition to Cambodia, the Asian giant softshell turtle is also found in China, Bangladesh, the Philippines and India.

The turtle nest was discovered by WCS, the local community and Cambodian authorities, and was reportedly the first observed this winter. The giant turtle had been considered extinct in Cambodia until it was rediscovered in the Mekong River in 2007. Soon after the rediscovery, authorities protected 378 turtle nests, and approximately 8,528 hatchlings were released into their natural habitat.

Meanwhile, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reported that scientists working in the Mekong region had discovered approximately 115 new species of flora and fauna, including 11 amphibians, two fish, 11 reptiles, 88 plants and three mammals.

The discovery of the new species was made possible through collaborative research by Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.