From the 30th of January to the 2nd of February, the Asian Turtle Program (ATP) of Indo Myanmar Conservation (IMC) was delighted to host staff from the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) and San Diego Zoo. The visit was a chance to visit some key projects of the ATP/IMC, including the Turtle Conservation Centre (TCC) in Cuc Phuong and Dong Mo Lake where we have the Swinhoe’s Softshell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) project.
They then accompanied ATP staff to the two most important wild habitats for Swinhoe’s Softshell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei), a species whose conservation is support by a partnership between TSA and ATP. Both lakes which currently contain wild Rafetus are found in an area to the west of Hanoi: Dong Mo and Xuan Khanh are monitored by the Asian Turtle Program (ATP) of Indo Myanmar Conservation (IMC).
At the Turtle Conservation Centre, we had the opportunity to talk about exciting future developments at the centre and see some amazing animals, many of which we hope to release during 2019. In Dong Mo the team was lucky enough to spot the Dong Mo turtle, with the animal even surfacing five times in a 30-minute period, just 50m from their vantage point. This was a momentous occasion for the three guests from TSA and San Diego Zoo and Jack Carney, a recent Master Graduate from Leeds University in the UK and a new member of the ATP/IMC team for whom it was the first opportunity to see the Rafetus in the wild.
A collaboration between the ATP/IMC, TSA, the Wildlife Conservation Society, Global Wildlife and the Centre for Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (CRES) – Hanoi, has been developed for the conservation of the Swinhoe’s Softshell Turtle in Vietnam. We hope to bring more on this soon.
We are thankful for the continued support of our partners, such as TSA, for our efforts both at the TCC and in our field sites around Vietnam. Thank you!
Press release: Jack Carney – ATP/IMC
Date: 5th February 2019
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- A late afternoon at Xuan Khanh proved less successful for Rafetus spotting. Photo credit: Nguyen Tai Thang (ATP/IMC).
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- ATP’s Rafetus field officer Nguyen Tai Thang shows the group where the Swinhoe’s Softshell is seen most often at Dong Mo. Photo credit: Jack Carney (ATP/IMC).
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- Andrew Walde (TSA), Clinton Doak (TSA), Brett Baldwin (San Diego Zoo), Thuy Nguyen (TCC/ATP), with a Big-Headed Turtle (Platysternon megacephalum). Photo credit: Jack Carney (ATP/IMC).
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- The TCC staff would like to express their gratitude for a joyous and informative visit from our friends at TSA/San Diego Zoo. Photo credit: Nguyen Duc Luong (TCC).
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- TCC staff talk to the visitors about species kept at the centre. Photo credit: Jack Carney (ATP/IMC).
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- Patience pays off as the Dong Mo turtle is seen taking a breath at the water’s surface. Photo credit: Bui Van Dien (ATP/IMC).
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- TCC staff and the visitors discuss captive management of Vietnamese species. Photo credit: Jack Carney (ATP/IMC).
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- Patience pays off as the Dong Mo turtle is seen taking a breath at the water’s surface. Photo credit: Nguyen Tai Thang (ATP/IMC).
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- Talking about the future of Rafetus conservation. Photo credit: Jack Carney (ATP/IMC).
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