GEORGE TOWN: After a four-year hiatus, the Olive Ridley Turtle, scientifically known as Lepidochelys olivecia, has returned to Pantai Keracut, here.
Penang is among the states well known for the presence of the Olive Ridley Turtle besides Pahang and Terengganu.
However, the landing trend of the Olive Ridley Turtle and the Leatherback Turtle, scientifically known as Dermochelys coriacea, has dwindled due to environmental threat and human factor.
According to the Penang Fisheries Department, the last time the Olive Ridley Turtle returned to lay eggs in Penang was four years ago, in 2019.
"Last Wednesday, the Penang Fisheries Department received a report by the public who found hatchlings of Olive Ridley Turtle on the beach around Hotel Angsana, Teluk Bahang.
"The team from the Conservation and Resource Protection Branch went to the scene and found 110 hatchlings of Olive Ridley Turtle.
"The hatchlings were brought to the Pantai Keracut Turtle Conservation Centre for further conservation and care before being released into the sea," the department said in a statement tonight.
The Penang Fisheries Department expressed its deepest appreciation to the public who reported the presence of turtles on the beaches around Penang.
"Hopefully, with good efforts and cooperation like this, this increasingly extinct species of turtle can be restored to ensure the sustainability of the population of this species," he added.
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