The burmese star tortoise, endemic to central myanmar s dry zone, experienced severe exploitation by local people and later, by the international pet trade, leading to its functional extinction by the…

This $199,744.75 federal Project Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service under the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund (CFDA 15.645) supports comprehensive conservation efforts for the critically endangered Burmese star tortoise and Burmese roofed turtle in Myanmar. The grant funds activities to: 1) permanently mark captive and reintroduced tortoises, 2) strengthen community-based monitoring and protection of tortoise populations, 3) continue conservation awareness programs in local villages, and 4) enhance regional coordination between enforcement agencies to interdict wildlife trafficking. For the Burmese roofed turtle, the project engages local communities to monitor and protect critical nesting sandbanks, relocate eggs to predator-exclusion areas, and support hatchling release. This multi-year grant aims to address poaching, trafficking, and habitat threats to secure the future of these endangered reptile species in Myanmar.

The burmese star tortoise, endemic to central myanmar s dry zone, experienced severe exploitation by local people and later, by the international pet trade, leading to its functional extinction by the early 2000S and its classification as iucn critically endangered. Biological extinction was averted through the establishment of three captive-breeding groups using tortoises confiscated from traffickers. These efforts have been successful, with over 12,000 tortoises now in captivity. However, both free-ranging and captive tortoises remain vulnerable to poaching and theft, with contraband tortoises traced to countries such as thailand, vietnam, china, and canada. Our project addresses these issues by: 1) permanently marking tortoises using three redundant systems, 2) strengthening community conservation teams to monitor reintroduced tortoises, 3) continuing conservation awareness programs in local villages, and 4) enhancing regional coordination between enforcement agencies in key countries through workshops to improve interdiction of trafficked tortoises. The burmese roofed turtle population declined due to chronic over-harvesting of eggs from riverside sandbanks. The introduction of monofilament fishing nets in the 1960S further devastated the species, leading to its presumed extinction by the late 1990S. Rediscovered in the dokhtawady and upper chindwin rivers in 2001-02, the population in dokhtawady vanished after a DAM inundated the nesting area. Conservation efforts along the upper chindwin river began in 2004-06 and have prevented biological extinction. However, the wild population remains tenuous and IT leads this species as iucn critically endangered. Our project aims to enhance in-situ conservation by engaging with local communities to monitor and protect 4-5 critical nesting sandbanks. Locally recruited beach guardians will camp on sandbanks during the nesting season, monitor turtle activity, and relocate eggs to a secure, predator-exclusion area for incubation, with hatching expected in late may and june each year.