Kids Gather Together to Release Endangered Turtle Hatchlings

Children from the community release around 5,000 yellow-spotted river turtles annually in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, giving the endangered species better chances of survival while educating the population about climate change and the impact of human activity on the environment.

“This is part of a broader community management strategy, in which the population recognizes that the resource is threatened, either by human invasion or illegal capture, and decides to act to protect it,” explains Paulo Cesar Andrade, coordinator of the Pé-de-Pincha project at the Federal University of Amazonas.

The 4,900 hatchlings—recognizable by their domed and dark-colored shells, the yellow-orange markings on their heads, and a single chin barbel—were released in the Igapo-Açu de Beruri River. Through a species conservation project, more than 70,000 turtles have been released in a decade, reintroducing this endangered species in the northern region of Brazil. The oldest yellow-spotted river turtle in the Amazon River reached 23 years of age under human care; they can live up to 70 years.