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Tuesday July 23, 2024

The Phnom Penh Post

A landmark event in wildlife conservation took place on July 19, with the inauguration of the expanded Koh Kong Reptile Conservation Centre (KKRCC) and the release of 20 critically endangered Southern River Terrapins (Batagur affinis) – known locally as the royal turtle – into the Sre Ambel River, according to a July 19 press release from Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Cambodia.

The occasion was attended by prominent figures including Dith Tina, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and Mithona Phouthorng, governor of Koh Kong province.

According to the release, the KKRCC, located in Toul Koki commune in the province’s Mondul Seima district, is an important facility dedicated to the conservation of the royal turtle and Siamese crocodiles (Crocodylus siamensis).

Initially established as a small centre in 2002 following the discovery of the first royal turtle nest along the Sre Ambel River, the facility has since expanded and relocated to its current 8.9-hectare site in 2016. The centre’s ongoing upgrades have been made possible through the support of generous donors, significantly boosting its capacity to rear and breed these endangered species.

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