The first two captive-bred Palawan forest turtles (Siebenrockiella leytensis) from a breeding program on Palawan island in the Philippines have been released back into the wild. This marks the successful result of a seven-year conservation effort between the Katala Foundation, Inc. (KFI) of the Philippines and Singapore’s Mandai Nature.
Named Sonja and Euds, these turtles are the first hatchlings of the species under the organizations’ captive breeding program on Palawan. Sonja was named after Sonja Luz, the deputy chief executive officer of Mandai Nature, and Euds after Eudelyn, the turtle’s keeper. Hatched in 2018, they weighed between 370 and 590 grams and measured 13 to 16 cm upon release. While Sonja and Euds are the first to be released to bolster the wild population, 15 more captive-bred turtles remain under the care of KFI. The released turtles were set free in a protected area with ideal conditions and outfitted with radio transmitters to track their movements for the first three months. Analysis shows they have stayed within 1,000 square meters of the release site. “The fact that the turtles stay close to the release site validates our earlier studies that indicate released individuals would settle within their release site provided it comprises their favorite habitat,” said Sabine Schoppe, KFI founding director and director of the Philippine Freshwater Turtle Conservation Program. “If such an area is actively protected, the chances of these individuals helping to augment the dwindling wild populations elsewhere are higher.” The Palawan forest turtle is endemic to Palawan island in the Philippines. It inhabits creeks and small rivers under full forest canopies, feeding and mating at night, and is classified as Critically Endangered. In 2015, a major seizure of 3,831 Palawan forest turtles from a syndicate supplying China’s illicit food trade highlighted the severe threat, with the number seized then estimated to represent nearly the entire remaining wild population, pushing the species to the brink of extinction. Related conservation events include the rescue of nearly 4,000 Critically Endangered Palawan Forest Turtles in the Philippines and the arrest of three individuals by Philippine authorities for possessing threatened turtles.
