Update: Police chase ends in arrest of Orest Lopadchak

Why Some Lawmakers Want To Reform The Endangered Species Act

William Brangham:

Kempsville was rescued in Virginia, and is now fighting off multiple infections, and recovering from surgery, where medics removed a fishing hook from its throat.

Kempsville is named after its species, the Kemp's ridley. Found mainly in the Gulf of Mexico, it's the world's smallest and most endangered sea turtle. The principal threat, says the aquarium's rehabilitation manager, Caitlin Bovery, is human activity.

Critically Endangered 'black Softshell' Turtle Found In Betana

BELBARI, Aug 26: A new species of turtle has been found in Betana Wetland at Belbari in Morang. A team of scientists has discovered that there are more than two dozen Black Softshell turtles, listed as critically endangered.

"The turtle found in Betana Wetlands many years ago was locally called Peacock feathered turtle, but after seeing its shell, we realized that it is a new species of turtle for Nepal," said Ramchandra Adhikari, an environmental journalist and associate professor of zoology.

In the year 2022, a research conducted under the leadership of Austrian scientist Dr Peter Praschag with the support of RCO Nepal found turtle in Morang's Betana wetlands. The scientific name of this turtle is Nilssonia nigricans.

According to Tapil Prakash Rai, a member of the research team, the turtle is listed as a critically endangered species by the the IUCN. The soft-natured turtle, which prefers to mingle with people, weighs between 70 to 80 kg and around two dozen of them have been found in the Betana wetlands.

So far, 17 species of turtles and two subspecies have been found in Nepal. Of them 13 are with hard bones and four species have soft shells.

(RSS)

How To Help Endangered Sea Turtles When Visiting Panama

Five of the world's seven sea turtle species call the country of Panama home.

Rich in diverse habitats and ecosystems, Panama's geographic location between North and South America – and the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea – provides the ideal conditions for sea turtles to live and develop throughout their various stages of life.

That fact has triggered important conservation efforts throughout the popular Central American country, often led by local communities and well-known organizations such as the international non-profit Sea Turtle Conservancy and also Panama Wildlife Conservation.

Equally importantly, these efforts have led to more than 200 of Panama's beaches now being the location of protected nesting sites for turtles.

This is important because nearly all of the world's sea turtles are now classified as endangered. Worse still, three of the seven existing species are actually classified as critically endangered.

"Over the last 200 years, human activities have tipped the scales against the survival of these ancient mariners. Slaughtered for their eggs, meat, skin, and shells, sea turtles suffer from poaching and over-exploitation," says the World Wildlife Fund.

The threatened or endangered turtles include the vulnerable loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), critically endangered hawksbills (Eretmochelys imbricata), endangered green (Chelonia mydas), vulnerable olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), and vulnerable leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea). 

Baby turtle rushes to the sea on an empty beach in Panama (Photo Credit: iStock / Getty Images Plus/ Unique Zoom)

Top Nesting and Conservation Sites

When visiting Panama you can learn more about these endangered sea creatures, enriching your knowledge and even collaborating in conservation efforts.

Visitors are able to witness firsthand the local conservation efforts being undertaken to protect these species and watch the babies take their first steps into the water.

It's possible to watch and learn more about sea turtles in the following locations throughout Panama:

In Los Santos, along the Pacific coast, are some of the best nesting sites in the country, such as Isla Cañas and Playa La Marinera. 

In the province of Veraguas is Coiba National Park in the Gulf of Chiriqui. This marine reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to a wide variety of birds, fish, iguanas and sea turtles, especially the hawksbill turtle, which forage for food there. 

Also in Veraguas, the Mata Oscura Community has developed the Eco Ruta de la Tortuga, an initiative for the conservation of turtles in Panama and internationally. 

In the Caribbean Sea, the province of Bocas del Toro is the nesting site of thousands of hawksbill and leatherback turtles. Two of the main nesting sites are Bluff Beach on Colon Island and in the Marine National Park of Bastimentos Island. 

When to Visit

Sea turtle nesting season takes place annually in Panama between the July and January. The best time to observe the turtles nesting is at night, when the tide is low and the beach is calm.

Then at dawn, between 45 and 60 days later, baby turtles will make their appearance, hatching from shells and scrambling toward the sea for the first time. It is a beautiful natural event that you won't soon forget.

How You Can Help When Visiting Panama

Beyond merely observing conservation programs, there are many ways you can actively help conserve these important and beautiful marine creatures.

Some of the options include volunteering on-site with organizations, donating money to support conservation programs, and "adopting" sea turtles, which involves providing a donation for a specific turtle.

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