Bulletin:  November 14, 2005

What’s new on the ATCN website

Please find below a brief summary of what is new on the ATCN website.  Click the links to take you directly to the page. 

Rafetus swinhoei Observed Basking in Hanoi:  The giant soft-shell turtle in Hoan Kiem Lake made a rare appearance on Turtle Island where it was observed basking following several stormy days in Hanoi.  A photographer was arrested after he rowed out to the island and attempted to photograph the turtle.
Link: http://www.asianturtlenetwork.org/library/ATCN_news/Hoan_Kiem_turtle_observed_11_05.html

Training Cambodian Wildlife Protection Authorities:  The Cambodia Turtle Team launches its first training workshop for wildlife protection authorities in October.  The training focused on promoting awareness about turtles and the Asian turtle crisis, and enhancing turtle identification skills amongst frontline enforcement officers.
Link: http://www.asianturtlenetwork.org/library/ATCN_news/training_wildlife_protection_cambodia_10_05.htm

Pilot Initiative Focuses on Xuan Mai Forestry College:  More than 130 senior students of Xuan Mai Forestry College attended a lecture on the Asian Turtle Crisis as part of a new initiative that will involve students in turtle conservation activities and research projects.
Link: http://www.asianturtlenetwork.org/library/ATCN_news/xuan_mai_forestry_college_10_05.htm

Release of Turtles in Cat Tien National Park - Once destined for the soup pots of China, a few lucky turtles will get a second chance at life thanks to the efforts of concerned wildlife protection authorities and conservationists.
Link: http://www.asianturtlenetwork.org/library/ATCN_news/turtles_released_cat_tien_09_05.htm

Training of Hoa Binh Rangers in Vietnam:  A turtle ecology, threats, and identification workshop was carried out at Cuc Phuong National Park’s Turtle Conservation Center for 20 wildlife protection officers from Hoa Binh Province.  Similar training workshops have been carried out for wildlife protection officers from 29 provinces.
Link: http://www.asianturtlenetwork.org/library/ATCN_news/strengthening_protection_turtles_hoa_binh_9_05.pdf

In the Press

8 More Indian Turtles in Endangered List

Shocked by the fast extinction of many Indian species of turtles, global experts have decided to include 11 of the 27 Indian species in the critically endangered list of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Link: http://www.asianturtlenetwork.org/library/news_articles/8_more_indian_turtles_10_05.htm

Save Turtle Plan Banks on Awareness Campaign

Experts at international turtle workshop in India hope to save the turtles by raising awareness in the turtle-populated regions through distribution of postcards and leaflets.
Link: http://www.asianturtlenetwork.org/library/news_articles/save_turtle_plan_banks_10_05.htm

Resource developments

On-line Field Guide:  The online Field Guide includes the following additions this period:

Cuora trifasciata, Amyda cartilaginea and Rafetus swinhoei.   A special thanks to all of you that have contributed information and photographs to support this effort.
Link: http://www.asianturtlenetwork.org/field_guide/field_guide_intro.htm

Photo Gallery:  Check out our updated photo gallery with new images from around the region.
Link: http://www.asianturtlenetwork.org/photo_gallery/photo_gallery.htm

Useful Resources

Species Record forms:  The species record forms currently used by the Turtle Conservation Center at Cuc Phuong National Park are now available (in a generic format) in our resources library for those of you running conservation breeding or head-start programs.  Separate forms are available for both adults and hatchlings (born in captivity).
Link: http://www.asianturtlenetwork.org/library/useful_resources.htm

Announcements

Field Records:  A reminder for those of you working in the region, please remember to log your field records (and encourage others to do so too!) by completing a field record report and submitting it to the ATCN database.  Although we are a bit behind on logging all of the records that we have received from Myanmar, Cambodia, and Vietnam, we plan to make the database available to all of you by early 2006.  For the latest field record report form, please check out our useful resources link.
Link: http://www.asianturtlenetwork.org/library/useful_resources.htm