Independence Day for 40 terrapins

Date: 21 September 2006
By: Chen Pelf Nyok
Source: The Star

SETIU: The slight drizzle before the release of 40 river terrapins did not dampen the spirits of teachers and school children who were all-agog to witness the event at Sekolah Kebangsaan Penarik, here on Saturday.
The event dubbed the Terrapin Independence Day, was endorsed by the Turtle Sanctuary Advisory Council of
Terengganu as an effort to conserve the species.

It is held in conjunction with the National Day celebrations. The State Government was the main sponsor for the event while State Secretary Datuk Muhatar Abdullah was the guest-of-honour.

The event was organised following the drastic decline of the river terrapin nestlings in the Setiu River revealed in a research undertaken by Kolej Universiti Sains dan Teknologi (KUSTEM) a couple years ago.

The research team then initiated a project to save the turtles from extinction by buying 1,034 eggs from egg collectors and producing 646 terrapin hatchlings. Upon emergence, the hatchlings were individually marked,
weigh-ed and measured to monitor and record their growth.

Last year, a total of 150 one-year-old river terrapins were released into the Setiu River in conjunction with the National Day.

This year’s event saw microchips attached to 40 two-year-old terrapins being released into the river. The microchips will enable the research team to identify the terrapins and monitor their growth rates and dispersal in the riverine system.

During the event, Turtle Re-search Group members consisting of scientist Prof Chan Eng Heng of KUSTEM and her students also set up an exhibition at the school. Briefings were given to the primary students of the school to educate them about the importance of conserving one of the top 25 most endangered turtles and tortoises in the world.

The teachers were also invited to carry out terrapin-related activities such as poem-writing, essay-writing and drawing with the students.

A new project to be conducted jointly between KUSTEM and Sekolah Kebangsaan Penarik in 2007 was also announced during the event.

Prof Chan, as the project leader of the Turtle Research and Rehabilitation Project is optimistic that the new project will be successful, judging from the enthusiasm showed by headmaster and teachers of the school.
“The project will use the river terrapin as a flagship species to instil conservation awareness among the teachers and students,” she said.