Lima (AFP) – More than 6,000 hatchlings of three species of endangered turtles have been released into lakes and lagoons in Peru's Amazon basin to help them repopulate, officials said Saturday.
To achieve that, wildlife officials collect turtle eggs and transfer them from natural beaches of the Amazon basin, to artificial beaches where they are artificially incubated for 60 days until they hatch.
Gustavo Montoya, head of the Cordillera Azul del Sernanp National Park, told AFP that over 6,100 baby turtles of the taricaya, charapa and teparo species have been released into the waters of the Amazon basin.
"With the release of these species at risk, it will be possible to repopulate the lagoons and rivers of the Amazon," said Montoya.
Environmental scientists say that preserving the Amazon rainforest and its ecosystem is vital for the planet because of its ability to absorb greenhouse gasses.
Kalarys on October 30th, 2022 at 22:56 UTC »
There will be plenty of selection pressure on these hatchlings, but there has to be a population for the fittest to survive
dgtlzefyr on October 30th, 2022 at 21:29 UTC »
A turtle made it to the water
long_ben_pirate on October 30th, 2022 at 19:15 UTC »
Somewhere there a couple freshwater caimans going, "Dude, I can't eat another baby turtle!"