Did you know?
The painted terrapin (Batagur borneoensis) is indigenous to our Malaysian rivers (its presence was confirmed in 14 rivers in Peninsular Malaysia) and is also 1 of the 25 most endangered tortoises and freshwater turtles on earth.
Until today we still do not know how many of these stunning creatures are surviving. These terrapins historically used to flourish in Sumatra, Southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia & Borneo. It is believed they are now extinct in Thailand and Malaysia is this species’ last stronghold with an estimated remaining total population of a few thousand individuals.
Though females nest on ocean front beaches, the painted terrapin does most of its living in mangrove forests & river estuaries. Painted terrapins are stereotypic nesters, which means they use the same nesting sites year after year and they nest about the same time too. However, their egg clutches are small consisting of about 10-12 eggs only.
What is Happening
The painted terrapin is driven close to extinction and under tremendous pressure due to poaching for its meat & eggs, the loss of its river, ocean beach and mangrove habitat as they are developed for agroindustry, sand mining operations and coastal or estuarine development and finally predation for the illegal pet trade.
How Can We Help?
We can adopt a terrapin at RM35 or donate any amount through The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf cafes during August to October of this year. The funds collected through the adoption drive and other donation activities goes to support a community-based river terrapin research and conservation project in the Kemaman River in Terengganu.
This project will involve studying the river terrapin nesting ecology, saving the eggs for incubation, head-starting the river terrapin hatchlings (this can take 5-8 months) and their release into the river, monitoring the growth of the head-started and wild terrapins and trying to study both their migration patterns and underwater mating behavior
Note: The “Terrapin Adoption Programme” is a symbolic gesture in an effort to raise funds for turtle conservation in Malaysia. Adopters do NOT get to bring home a terrapin. ALL terrapins will be released into the river.
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