A recent video released by the Wildlife Conservation Society showed several thousand Giant South American River turtle hatchlings emerging from a beach in the protected area around the Amazon River in Brazil. The video of this phenomenon became viral and was widely spoken about since this was a never before seen sight. Close to 71000 turtle hatchlings animals in a single day. This was followed by another 21000 a few days later.
Researchers from the Reserva Biológica do Abufari had been monitoring this hatching of turtle eggs in the reserved and protected region of this riverbank. They had been studying the conditions to help conserve and protect this endangered species, that had been subject to a lot of poaching.
Camila Ferrara, Aquatic Turtle Specialist for WCS’s Brazil said, “For the giant South America river turtle, birth is an explosion of life, but also it is the most fragile phase. In some areas, hatchlings use mass birth to increase their survival. The synchronization of birth allows them to travel together to the river to start a new journey.”
The conservation work is part of a project led by WCS Brazil in partnership with ICMBIO and is sponsored by Fundação o Boticário. The Giant South American river turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in Latin America, reaching lengths of three and a half feet (1.07 meters) and weights of 200 pounds (90 kg). The turtles play an important ecological role by dispersing seeds that eventually help regenerate vegetation along river corridors.