(Koh Kong): Cambodia’s General Department of Fisheries (GDF), part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, released 20 critically endangered royal turtles into the Sre Ambel river system, the only place in the country where the species is still known to survive and breed in the wild, according to the press release seen by Fresh News on Thursday (Apr. 30).
The release is the latest step in a long-running recovery effort to restore a species once feared extinct in Cambodia, led by GDF, with support from Koh Kong and Sihanouk Provincial Administrations and Fisheries Administration Cantonments, local authorities, community nest protectors, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Cambodia.
Mandai Nature, Turtle Survival Alliance, WCS Canada, Shinta Mani Wild, and the Patricia and Alan Koval Foundation are among the partners supporting the recovery effort.
Known globally as the southern river terrapin (Batagur affinis), the royal turtle remains one of the world’s most threatened freshwater turtles.
In Cambodia, the recovery effort has focused on protecting nests, raising young turtles until they have a better chance of surviving in the wild, monitoring released animals, and protecting the river system from illegal fishing, sand dredging and habitat loss. Over the past decade, the program has returned more than 200 turtles to the wild.
For a species this depleted, progress is measured in small numbers. In 2024, the project recorded the first nest laid by a reintroduced female in the wild.
In the first months of 2026, conservationists found three nests in Sre Ambel after none were recorded in 2025. Even so, recovery remains fragile. Surveys published last year by WCS found that key nesting sandbanks still require protection or active management to remain suitable.
Since the species was rediscovered in the early 2000s, local communities have been central to that work. Former egg collectors were recruited to locate and guard nests instead of harvesting them, helping protect eggs through the breeding season and giving hatchlings a better chance at survival.
During the ceremony, GDF and WCS also recognized a local family for more than 25 years of work protecting royal turtle nests.
Vibol Ouk, Director of the Fisheries Conservation Department of the General Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said: “The Royal Turtle is one of 58 threatened fisheries species that the General Directorate of Fisheries is actively prioritizing for protection and conservation to ensure their long-term survival in natural habitats.
The General Directorate of Fisheries would like to thank all partners, especially WCS, for their continued support in implementing conservation and recovery efforts for this species, which have achieved results we can all be proud of.”
“We are starting to see the first real signal that this work can rebuild a wild population,” said Alistair Mould, Country Director of WCS Cambodia. “This species remains highly vulnerable, and recovery will only last if nesting beaches and the river system stay protected.”
Singapore has contributed to this conservation effort through sustained support from Mandai Nature, including the construction of the Koh Kong Reptile Conservation Center, where young turtles are raised as part of the recovery program.
“This is a part of a broader conviction that Singapore, as a small nation with a deep appreciation for biodiversity, has to contribute meaningfully to conservation beyond our borders. We may not have the vast wilderness of our own, but we have expertise, resources, and partnerships, and we are committed to putting them to work,” said Steven Pang Chee Wee, Ambassador of the Republic of Singapore to Cambodia.
“Species recovery does not happen overnight, and milestones like these reflect years of collaboration and commitment, driven by our field partners and local communities. Through our long-term support, we are honored to continue enabling and scaling these critical efforts on the ground, contributing to lasting impact,” said Sonja Luz, CEO of Mandai Nature.
The royal turtle was designated Cambodia’s national reptile in 2005. Long-term recovery will depend on continued protection of nesting beaches, flooded forests and the broader Sre Ambel river system, as well as continued support for local communities helping to protect nests on the ground.
=FRESH NEWS
