Kemaman: The Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS) has successfully collected 1,673 river terrapin eggs in Sungai Kemaman near Kampung Pasir Gajah since February 2. TCS co-founder and executive director Dr. Chen Pelf Nyok reported that all the eggs have been incubated at the River Terrapin Conservation Centre in Kampung Pasir Gajah to protect the species from extinction.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr. Chen highlighted that the limited number of eggs collected is due to the species' short nesting season, which falls between February and March. As of today, 1,222 of the incubated eggs have hatched. The incubation process takes between 70 and 90 days for the eggs to hatch.

Dr. Chen explained that before the hatchlings are released back into their natural river habitat, they would be implanted with microchips. These microchips serve as identity markers and facilitate biological data recording. This process aids the conservation centre in identifying the terrapins if they are encountered again in the future, thereby simplifying data collection and survival rate assessment.

Some of the hatchlings have already been released in stages into Sungai Kemaman near Kampung Pasir Gajah. The peak event for releasing the hatchlings into the river is scheduled for October 3, a date that will be observed annually. Last year, 1,134 hatchlings were released at the location in collaboration with NGOs and companies interested in supporting the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.

Since the inception of conservation efforts in 2012, more than 7,000 hatchlings have been released into the river. Additionally, TCS has been conducting awareness activities among students and the public to foster understanding and support for river terrapin conservation efforts.