Kemaman: The remains of a dead river terrapin caught in a wire fish trap in Sungai Kemaman was found by a villager near Kampung Pasir Gajah near here on Thursday. Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS) co-founder and executive director Dr. Chen Pelf Nyok reported the discovery of the male terrapin, estimated to be 12 years old, weighing 18 kilograms, 47 centimeters long, and 37 centimeters wide. The terrapin was found dead, floating in the river at 10:30 am.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, a TCS team led by field manager Dylan Wang went to the location after receiving a report and found that fishing lines had also ensnared the terrapin's legs and neck. "The ensnared terrapin would have had difficulty surfacing to breathe, causing his death," Wang said in a statement, adding that it was the first terrapin found dead in the river this year.

A female terrapin was also found dead in 2025 after she was ensnared by wires in the river. "We always monitor Sungai Kemaman routinely to clear away discarded fishing equipment to curb such deaths," Wang added.