At the end of April until early June, our team kicked-off a continuation program for the conservation of the endangered Malayan giant turtle (MGT), Orlitia borneensis. After two years of initiating the captive-based species recovery effort through the establishment of an assurance colony, this program marks the beginning of our collective conservation initiatives in the distribution area of this species, specifically in the East Belitung area, Bangka-Belitung Province, Sumatra Region.
We collaborate with the Pokdarwis (Local Tourism Group) in Tebat Rasau Geosite, located in Lintang Village, East Belitung District. This local community plays a significant role in preserving the ecosystem of the Lenggang River, which serves as the distribution area of this rare turtles.
Recognizing the significance of community-based conservation efforts, at this stage, we conduct an initial assessment to identify threats in the area. We observe the socio-economic aspects of the community, organizational dynamics within the group, and explore the involvement of local agencies (such as local environmental agencies, tourism departments, forest management units, and, of course, the local village government) that could potentially contribute directly or indirectly to the conservation efforts for the MGTs in the Lenggang River.

This initial stage is intended to serve as a foundation for designing the capacity building and subsequent focused group discussions, aiming to enhance the group’s capacity in their efforts to protect the habitat of these giant turtles, while also aligning and uniting the involvement of the pertinent agencies for the sustainability of species conservation efforts in the Belitung region.
We express our gratitude to IUCN SSC Asian Species Action Partnership for funding this activity as well as to our key collaborating partner organizations: Satucita foundation, Generasi Biologi Indonesia, and Indonesia Herpetofauna Foundation for their commitment towards reversing the extinction of this rare species! Together we can!
Stay tune for further updates about this project!