Harnessing new technology to unlock the secrets of Natator depressus A new tracking harness for flatback sea turtles has found some are travelling hundreds of kilometres out to sea, helping to unlock the secrets of these mysterious creatures. Quotes: “Flatbacks have always been difficult because we just couldn’t get a good harness attachment as their skin is rather oily,” he said. “The epoxy resin we […]

Marathon Turtle Hospital Removes Another Turtle Tumor Successfully Thanks to a new high-powered CO2 laser tool, The Turtle Hospital keep treating and rehabilitating turtles with the disease efficiently. In this case, they had to remove a fibropapilloma which affect almost 50% of the green sea turtle population around the area. “We’re getting better and better all the time as we get different types of equipment,

Protected Sea Turtles Are Still Being Caught Illegally in Jakarta Although sea turtles are endangered and protected by law on Lembata Island, most of them end up being caught by fishermen to be sold on the fish market for their meat. Since no action is taken against this, Jakarta Animal Aid Network started a new program for sea turtle protection. Read more about it here

Turtles cannot clean the sludge in the River Ganga On Aug 20, an IANS news release said the state’s Chief Minister, Harish Rawat, had approved a 500-acre turtle breeding facility in Rishikesh. The scavengers will then be released in the River Ganga. Good news you would think? Article quote: This is not a new initiative. The first river clean up program was launched in 1986.

Love caretta carettas from a distance As caretta caretta hatchlings, the struggling young members of the endangered sea turtle species, start to hit the sea on Turkey’s Mediterranean coasts, an expert has warned locals and tourists not to intervene in their habitat and refrain from feeding or touching them. “The high human population causes stress for these animals,” said Doğan Sözbilen, a board member of

Conservation authority working to save Apalone spinifera Conservation Intern Brendan Martin is releasing Spiny softshell turtles into the Sydenham River, read more about why. Quote: “Wading into a creek with a bucket of hatchlings in hand, Conservation Intern Brendan Martin searches for a safe place to release the young spiny softshell turtles in the Eastern Branch of the Sydenham River. He soon finds a grassy

Unique Canine Works to Save Sea Turtles Could a dog really do anything to actually protect turtles, rather than eat them? Captain Ron is a Pocket Beagle specially trained to sniff out sea turtle eggs buried below the surface of the sand. He uses the scent of the mucous covering on the eggs to find each nest, whereupon scientists are able to collect their data.

Disney’s Vero Beach Resort Trains Dogs To Detect Turtle Eggs Captain Ron is a three-year-old pocket beagle trained to sniff and detect fresh sea turtle nests for Disney’s sea turtle conservation team which monitors 4 miles of beach near Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. “Captain Ron sniffs out the thin layer of clear mucus left on eggs buried up to 3-feet deep, saving time and labor

Tortoise Center Kept Under Wraps Barbed wire and guard dogs- it sounds like an army base, when in fact inside resides some of the world’s most endangered tortoises, Astrochelys radiata. This Madagascar tortoise haven is the head-quarters of the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), which works tirelessly to conserve many of the worlds chelonian species in danger of extinction. Astrochelys radiata is highly sought after by