Summary

The Bukit Paloh mangrove terrapin breeding and head-start facility in Bota Kanan was established in 1975 in response to concern over the sustainability of widespread harvesting by local people of terrapin eggs from nesting beaches along the Perak River. Run by the Department of Wildlife and National Park, eggs are collected each year from nesting beaches along the river and brought to the center. The eggs are incubated in large cement sandboxes, hatching about 60-70 days later. The hatchlings are then cared for and raised for 2+ years, allowing them to grow to a size that should afford some level of protection against natural predators. They are then released back into the Perak River. About 40,000 juvenile turtles have reportedly been hatched and released into the river since 1975.

The center also houses a breeding population of captive adult mangrove terrapins, including about 20 males and 60 females. This small group is maintained as an assurance population, and nests each year in specially designed enclosures. Juveniles resulting from captive breeding are also released into the river.

The main threat to the mangrove terrapin is humans. Terrapin eggs are collected and consumed by local people. Additionally, a dam upstream on the Perak River has altered the flow regime of the river, resulting in overgrowth of vegetation on nesting beaches. Adult populations continue to decline with fewer and fewer nesting females returning each year, possibly as a result of continued hunting and collection for trade.