Sights and Sounds of Cambodia's Mekong Turtle Conservation Center | Conservation International (CI)
Near Kratie, Cambodia, Conservation International pays local villagers to protect nests of the highly threatened Cantor's giant softshell turtle. When the turtles hatch, they are taken to the Mekong Turtle Conservation Center - located on the grounds of the 100 Pillar Pagoda - where they are raised until they are big enough to better resist predators like birds and snakes. Then, they are released back into the Mekong River.
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Mekong Turtle Conservation Center on Apsara TV, Cambodia
This video, from August 2013, highlights the work underway at the Mekong Turtle Conservation Center in Kratie Cambodia to conserve Cantor's softshell turtle. For more on this great project, visit our website mekongturtle.com or our facebook
Mekong Turtle Conservation at 100 Column Pagoda, Kratie, NE Cambodia
Endangered freshwater turtles are cared for by Cambodian monks
In conservation news, endangered freshwater turtles are cared for by Cambodian monks. The Mekong Turtle Conservation Center has been established on the grounds of a temple near the town of Kratie on the Mekong River. Funded by Conservation International, the Center will protect the Cantor's giant soft-shell turtle. An 18-kilogram female turtle was released into the pond inside the temple. She joined nearly 100 babies, who will be set back into the Mekong River when they grow up in one or two years.
Our appreciation, respected Cambodian monks and Conservation International, for your care of the beautiful turtles. May the gentle shelled friends flourish in safety and happiness, with Buddha's blessings.
Monks lead by example to promote turtle conservation
LEAD IN:
The once abundant turtle populations in Cambodia's section of the Mekong River are now struggling to survive because of overhunting.
In an effort to save the remaining turtles, environmental NGO Conservation International has teamed up with Buddhist monks to help convince local people to end hunting.
STORYLINE:
Cambodia is home to at least 10 known species of salt and fresh water turtles.
Local people say turtles were plentiful in many parts of the country until after the fall of the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s.
With people then close to starvation, turtles were heavily overexploited for their meat and eggs, driving some species to the edge of extinction.
Giant soft-shell cantor turtles (Pelochelys cantorii) can grow up to 2 meters across and can weigh up to 45 kg.
The species was thought to be extinct in the Mekong River until 2007 when one was caught in a fisherman's net in Kratie province, according to Yoeung Sun.
The find received international attention, leading to more research and the discovery of a viable cantor population that was identified as vital to saving the species from complete extinction.
Scientists last saw one in the Cambodian wild in 2003, and small numbers have been seen in neighboring Laos, while it appears to have disappeared from Vietnam and Thailand.
In 2011 the Mekong Turtle Conservation centre (MTCC) opened on the grounds of the historic 100-pillar pagoda in Kratie's Sambor district, backed by U.S.-based Conservation International.
The centre was set up as a head-starting facility to increase the survival rate of turtle hatchlings, in particular the highly endangered cantor turtle.
Under a corrugated metal roof at the centre , twelve soft-shell cantor turtles and other species have found a temporary home in small aquariums containing water and sand ahead of eventual rerelease back into the Mekong.
Tourists visiting the centre receive a guided tour in return for a donation.
The turtles typically hide under the sand, where they can remain for 12 hours at a time-until project manager Yoeung Sun skillfully delves his hand into an aquarium to dig up a specimen.
This is a juvenile giant soft-shell cantor turtle - see, the head looks a lot like a frog. The villagers in Cambodia call it 'ribbit', like the sound a frog makes because they say the cantors have heads that look like a frog he explains.
The pagoda was chosen to host the centre because Cambodians typically obey the teachings of monks and would be more inclined to obey their teachings on turtle conservation.
The monks themselves like Phuong Chantha who lives at the pagoda are happy to earn good karma by helping to protect the turtles.
I like working to conserve the turtles because they have a big problem here in Cambodia. The main reason I work with them is because they are here in the temple but I do think that if the monks help the turtles to recover their numbers we will have a lot of blessings and good karma in our lives he says.
The MTCC works with local people to help conserve turtles and their nests, travelling out to remote locations where turtle nests have been discovered like here in Kratie's Kompong Cham commune.
It was soon realized that relying solely on people's respect for monks wouldn't stop hunters unless there was a financial incentive.
A hatchling delivered to the MTCC centre now earns a reward of $8, a figure that has turned some turtle hunters, such as Tea Sok and his wife Nay, into turtle protectors.
The sandy riverbanks near their house are the ideal places for soft-shell turtles to lay their eggs.
Up to 50 eggs fill one nest, which is detectable by the footprints left in the sand by female soft shells.
Sun releases a young turtle back into the river and wills him to survive.
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Inauguration of conservation facility for one of rarest freshwater turtles
(8 Jun 2011) SHOTLIST
++SOUND QUALITY AS INCOMING++
1. Various of Cantor's giant soft-shell turtle being measured
2. Local officials cutting red ribbon to inaugurate the turtle conservation centre
3. Giant turtle being held prior to release into pond
4. Wide of Buddhist monk blessing turtle before it is released into pond
5. Zoom in as turtle is released into pond
6. Wide of pond where turtle was released
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Seng Bunra, Cambodia Director - Conservation International:
++AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING++
We worked with the Fisheries Administration and then to open this centre because we want to protect the soft-shell giant (turtle) in Cambodia that is an endangered species.
8. Wide of turtle facility shack
9. Close-up of sign, reading: Mekong Turtle Conservation Centre
10. Giant turtle being placed in aquarium
11. Turtle hatchling swimming in pool
STORYLINE:
A facility to help protect one of the rarest and largest freshwater turtles in the world was inaugurated on Wednesday at a ceremony in Cambodia.
The Mekong Turtle Conservation Centre is a project which hopes to provide a long-term sustainable conservation programme for the endangered Cantor's soft-shell turtle, a freshwater turtles species which can grow to over 50 kilograms and up to 2 metres (six feet) in length.
The centre is located within the grounds of the 100 Pillar pagoda, a popular tourist attraction in Kratie province and located near the banks of the Mekong River.
It was spearheaded by Conservation International in local partnership with the monk's at the pagoda, and Cambodia's Fisheries Administration.
A 40-pound (18-kilogram) female turtle and six babies were released into the pagoda's conservation pond during the launch.
The ceremony was attended by six Buddhist monks - who blessed the female turtle by painting sacred markings on her body - and more than 100 villagers.
The pagoda's traditional pond was rebuilt and a turtle facility was constructed beside it.
The centre intends to facilitate captive breeding of the rare reptiles.
Turtle hatchlings can be raised at the facility for a period of about ten months and then released back into the Mekong River, the turtle's natural habitat.
The centre also aims to promote participation and incentives among residents of the local villages around the Mekong River to create awareness for its turtle conservation programme.
Local fishermen currently collect both eggs and adult turtles for their own consumption and sale to restaurants, Conservation International said.
Soft-shelled turtles are considered a delicacy in many Asian diets, and rarity only adds to their value on menus or as traditional medicines.
The environmental group said planned dams and dredging schemes on the river pose another serious threat to the species.
Scientists last saw one in the Cambodian wild in 2003, and small numbers have been seen in neighbouring Laos, while it appears to have disappeared from Vietnam and Thailand.
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Irrawaddy silver Riverdolphins in Kratie - Cambodia
via YouTube Capture
People with Disabilities Earn income From Grow Spinach in KRATIE Cambodia
People with Disabilities Earn income From Grow Spinach in KRATIE Cambodia
Kratie-Cambodia, Mekong fish
Survival in the jungle and find fish to eat by ourselves, people might not understand how to survive in the forest unless they experience it. It is very pleased to share the experience altogether.
EP58 | Loads of freshwater IRRAWADDY DOLPHINS in Kratie
After a long journey from Siem Reap where we ended up crammed into a minibus with luggage on top of us we finally made it to Kratie. We started our day by exploring Kaoh Trong by horse and cart, then travelled by tuktuk further North to an area known for having freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins. We were not disappointed – we saw loads of dolphins!
For travel advice check out our website:
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Global Swans
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EP58 | Kratie | Cambodia
This episode features the following music from Epidemic Sound (
Between the lines
Bring out the love
Crashing waves
Market View - Kratie - Cambodia
Koh Trong Kratie province Cambodia
Koh Trong is a beautiful quiet island opposite the riverfront of Kratie Town. It is a short ferry ride between town life and a slice of Cambodia's rural ways. In the dry season the island is surrounded by large sandy beaches that call out to be lazed upon with a picnic after a dip in the Mekong*. Local guides will be happy to take you on a cycle or horse and cart tour of their charming homeland.
If you want to go it alone, bicycles are available for hire on the island (or in the town -- getting a bike on and off the boat can be fun!) and the trail is somewhat signposted for you to follow. Besides a generous mind-full of Khmer culture, on the island you'll find picnic huts dotted along the river, an old Stupa, a Vietnamese Wat... and off the island you might see a floating village!
Try and count how many times people smile and say Hello! to you. You may just find you run out of numbers.
Market in Kratie (Cambodia)
Primitive Functional Movement @ Kratie (Cambodia)
Join Mobility Workout in front of the Mekong, following the flow of the Asian giant.
5 sets of
- 10 power cobra
- 10 cross bridge
- 10 renegade pushups
- 10 leg switch down
- 10 salute sun
To see al my workouts click on aroundthewod.com
VOA 2013: Press trip to Mekong Flooded Forest (Khmer)
Voice of America press members recently traveled with WWF-Cambodia to the Mekong Flooded Forest where they had the opportunity to view rare and endangered wildlife such as the Cantor's giant softshell turtle and Mekong birds such as red-headed vulture, white-shouldered ibis and river tern. In this video they report on their journey to view WWF supported projects and the Mekong Flooded Forest.
Cows Grazing #1 on Beautiful Koh Trong Island, Kratie, Cambodia
WestIslandKev filmed: February 3, 2015 - Koh Trong, Cambodia.
I took the bus from Banlung to Kratie and then a small ferry to Trong Island, with a reservation at Arun Mekong Guesthouse on Trong island (or in Khmer Koh Trong). I took the small ferry crossing from Kratie about every 30 minutes for 1000 riel or 25 cents.
Life on this island is quiet and peaceful, with about 1800 permanent residents. The Arun Mekong Guesthouse was wonderful, the food was truly excellent. The bungalow is a good opportunity to try rural Cambodian living. The people on the island are incredibly friendly especially the children who were always saying hello. I loved cycling around the island, it was a lot of fun and a golden opportunity to see different kinds of fruit trees up-close.
Once you're on the island, you can follow the bumpy nine-kilometre trail that encircles it. The trail is beautiful -- if you're looking for a single opportunity to take in rural Cambodia at its most beautiful, this should be towards the top of your shortlist. The scenery is lush, and unspoilt, with a few villages, grazing cows, and smiling kids around the perimeter and fluorescent rice paddies in the centre.
Among other points of interest, there is a temple at the southern tip, a floating Vietnamese village to the southwest and a much larger temple towards the eastern side.
Background:
Hi, on Thursday, January 22, 2015, I departed Montreal, Canada for a 6 week vacation in Cambodia. I am filming my journey and will share the flight videos as well as highlights of my visit to Cambodia.
Please check out my videos and let me know what you think. I hope that you enjoy my vids!
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Sony HDR-XR520V 240gb HD, 12x optical, 1080HD
Chomrern Hengly Hotel in snoul kratie cambodia
Cambodia battles to save rare Mekong dolphins
In Cambodia, community-based eco-tourism initiatives are central to protecting the dwindling population of Mekong dolphins, threatened by gill nets. Duration: 00:58
Kratie: 100 pillar Wat, tourtles, rapids, wallet!
Irriwaddy River dolphin watching Kampi, Kratie, Cambodia part 2
Irriwaddy River dolphin watching Kampi, Kratie, Cambodia WWF Cambodia