Many
rare creatures live in the wilderness of
Myanmar, creatures that crawl, swim, fly
and run. Local scientists and
organisations such as the Nature and
Wildlife Conservation Division under the
Ministry of Forestry and the Myanmar
program of the Wildlife Conservation
Society, an international body, work
hand in hand for their survival.
The
endemic Burmese (Myanmar) Roofed Turtle
(Kachuga trivittata) once
flourished in the Ayeyarwaddy Basin and
all along the banks of the Ayeyarwaddy,
Chindwin, Dokhtawaddy, Thanlwin and
Sittaung Rivers. However, along with the
Burmese (Myanmar) Star Tortoise (Geochelone
platynota), it is now among the' 0
species listed as the second most
endangered in the world.
Initial
research began in' 999 led by Dr. John
Thorbjarnarson and Dr. Steven Platt,
representatives of the WCS of New York
with the Myanmar program of WCS under
the then country coordinator U Saw Tun
Khine, suported by the Nature and
Wildlife Conservation Division under the
Ministry of Forestry and the Zoology
Department of Yangon University. The
team identified 32 species of turtles
and tortoises, out of which five were
sea turtles and 27 fresh water turtles
and tortoises. Seven were identified as
endemic to Myanmar, including the rare
Burmese (Myanmar) Roofed Turtle and the
Burmese (Myanmar) Star Tortoise.
By
2002, rumours began circulating about
'sightings' in the exotic food stalls of
Hong Kong, rumours that could not be
checked out. Dr. Gerald Kuchling and WCS
Myanmar turtle conservation coordinator,
U Win Ko Ko, with the support of WCS
country coordinator U Than Myint took to
the fields with the support of on site
staff of the NWCD. Their search took
them to the banks of Chindwin and
Dokhtawaddy Rivers, but they only
recovered an old shell from a fisher
village and later, discarded shells at
some remote banks of the Chindwin. They
were in despair of ever finding this
beautiful and placid creature which can
grow up to 58cm in length.
At times
live Star Tortoises were found but not a
single live Roofed Turtle, until in 2003
three were discovered by Dr. Gerald
Kuchling not in the wilds but swimming
in the turtle tank of the Maha Muni
Pagoda of Mandalay. Famous pagodas
usually have large tanks the size of
swimming pools where fish and turtles
are set free by pilgrims and there the
three have been living, fed pop-rice and
watercress by pilgrims for no one knows
how long. The Yadanabon Zoo of Mandalay
jubilantly took them over.
The BTG
Studio of Sydney and the Allwetter Zoo
of Germany were the initial supporters.
The work is on-going with the support of
the Turtle Survival Alliance which was
formed in 2001. The TSA manages programs
in ten Asian countries, Mexico and
Brazil and finds many alternative and
realistic conservation answers in
capacity building, rescue and captive
breeding.
Searches
along the Ayeyarwaddy, Chindwin and
Dokhtawaddy Rivers were carried out,
although the Sittaung and Thanlwin
River, not nearly as accessible, still
need to be checked.
In early
2005 the first Roofed Turtle egg
clutches were discovered around a small
village on the upper reaches of the
Chindwin River. The elated team
immediately set up a base camp and the
villagers soon learned of the value of
these rare creatures. Using a realistic
approach, the team offers incentives
with a certain amount of cash for each
clutch plus more for each egg. Those who
brought the camps to base camp were also
paid their travelling costs. Layout and
sites of these clutches were marked so
that
List of seven turtle and tortoise
endemic to Myanmar
1. Burmese
(Myanmar) Roofed Turtle (Kachuga
trivittata)
2. Burmese (Myanmar) Star Tortoise
(Geoche/one platynota),
3. Burmese (Myanmar) Flap Shell
Turtle (Lissemys scutata)
4. Burmese (Myanmar) Peacock Soft
Shell Turtle (Nilssonia formosa)
5. Burmese (Myanmar) Narrow-headed
Soft Shell Turtle {Chitra vandijkiJ
6. Rakhine Forest Turtle (Heosemys
depressa)
7. Burmese (Myanmar) Eye Turtle (Morenia
ocellata)
they
could be checked at the next laying
season.
The Burmese (Myanmar) Roofed Turtle (Kachuga
trivittata) are different from other
turtles that while others lay their
whole clutch in one nest, they would lay
some in one, and move on to dig another
nest and lay some more. Each female
would lay in three or four nests and at
times, as many as eight. The eggs take
five months to hatch while in India's
hot desserts eggs of the same family
took much less time.
In 2006
the team collected 250 precious eggs
from ten nests and in 2007, so far seven
nests have been discovered. All the eggs
were carefully carried to base camp to
be hatched in safer conditions.
Out of
that batch 87 babies were hatched, and
when they grew bigger 16 were sent to
the Yadanabon Zoo. A few will be
released near their birthplace and the
majority will be kept until they grow
much stronger so that they will better
survive when released into the wilds,
places with little human habitation and
with environments most suitable for
them. All had b.een implanted with
microchips to track their whereabouts.
Given the Myanmar Buddhists' penchant
for saving the lives of creatures, a few
might find them selves in the turtle
tanks of pagodas.
Many more will walk on the sandy river
banks leaving new footprints that will
gladden the hearts of conservationists
the world over, on their slow journeys
to find each other and to flourish in
safety. .
(The writer is greatly indebted to U
Than Myint, WCS country coordinator and
U Win Ko Ko, WCS Myanmar turtle
conservation coordinator and Ma Khin Myo
Myo (WCS) for their kind help with this
article on saving the turtles, a project
that so obviously means a great deal to
them.)
