Over 10,000 Pig-nose Turtles Released into Habitat
January 1, 2011, 11:31 am, Indonesian Views.
Timika, Papua (ANTARA News) - Some 10,908 pig-nose turtles were released into their habitat in the Wania River, Paumako harbor, Mimika Timur District, Papua Province, Thursday (Dec 30). "We have released them into the Wania River, Paumako harbor," Mimika Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Mochammad Sagi confirmed here Friday.
The event witnessed among others by Deputy District Head of Mimika Abdul Muis was aimed at preserving the endangered animals, he said.
Pig-nose turtles are protected under Law No. 5/1990 on Natural Resources and Ecosystems Conservation.
Mimika police had foiled an attempt to smuggle out the 10,908 pig-nose turtles from Timika last Sunday (Dec 26) and arrested two people identified by their initials as A and YW.
Police raided YW`s house in the Kamoro SP1 Timika area and seized the pig-nose turtles after receiving a tip-off from local people.
The turtles had been poached in the Asmat region and were to have been transported to Jakarta.
In addition to the pig-nose turtles, the police also found and seized a package of crystal methamphetamine in Jemmy`s house.
In March 2009, the Papua Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) released over 10,000 pig-nosed turtles, a species endemic to the province, into the Otakwa River in the Lorentz National Park.
The turtles were seized by the Mimika Police and a BKSDA team in Timika in February 2009.
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