On Thursday, some 3,000 baby Amazon rainforest river turtles were released into a Peruvian river after hatching from eggs kept on artificial beaches as part of a conservation effort, with a goal of repopulation of the species.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies river turtles as ‘vulnerable,’ and they have been killed for human consumption or kept as pets.
‘The significance is in the conservation of the species in the area because it has been threatened for a long time,’ said Sabrina Pipa, a biologist who works on freshwater turtle conservation.
Podocnemis unifilis is the scientific name for the turtles, but Peruvians call them taricayas. They’re yellow-spotted, and the baby ones are only a few inches long.
After Brazil, Peru has the second-largest share of the Amazon rainforest. Because of its ability to absorb greenhouse gases, scientists agree that preserving the Amazon rainforest is critical to avoiding catastrophic climate change.
However, over 19,700 square kilometres (7,600 square miles) of Peruvian Amazon have been destroyed in the last two decades.
In addition to those saved this year, Pipa said that the taricaya project began in 2019 and has protected about 6,000 river turtles.
The city of Iquitos gathered to watch the baby turtles make their way down a river beach towards the water.
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