In Colombia, this animal is in danger of extinction, according to the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.
The Colombian Navy's commitment to environmental protection is permanent, so it was possible to release 640 Terecay turtles in their natural habitat in La Venturosa lagoon, rural area of the municipality of Puerto López, Meta. The activity was planned, coordinated and executed with the Corporation for the Sustainable Development of the La Macarena Special Management Area (Cormacarena), the Environmental Police, the municipal Mayor's Office and the local Agricultural School.
To prevent indiscriminate hunting, these animals had been recovered by an inhabitant of the region, who tracked and monitored each of the eggs until hatching. After three-weeks old, they were moved by the staff of the Navy of Colombia, accompanied by of officials of Cormacarena, Environmental Police, the Municipality of Puerto Lopez and the local School of Agriculture to the lake and La Venturosa, where they were liberated and returned to their natural habitat, following all the protocols established for their protection.
The Terecay turtle, scientifically known as Podocnemis unifilis, is found in the basins and lakes of the Amazon and the Orinoquia in countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. In our country, they live in the departments of Amazonas, Arauca, Caquetá, Casanare, Guainía, Meta, Putumayo, Vaupés and Vichada, as well as in the hydrographic zones of the Amazon and Orinoco rivers.
This animal is abundant in Colombia, according to Cormacarena this type of turtle is used illegally as pets, they are the object of indiscriminate hunting for human consumption of their eggs and their fat which is extracted for the production of oil and ointments for medicinal purposes. For this reason, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, according to resolution 1912 of 2017, included this animal within the endangered animals of our country.
Source: Press - Navy of Colombia
