Rantau Abang
Encyclopedia
Rantau Abang is a small village located in Terengganu
, Malaysia. While itself a very small village, Rantau Abang is most noted for its Leatherback Sea Turtle
nesting. Every year during the summer months (usually May through August), the turtles come ashore and lay their eggs.
While a noted tourist spot, the number of sea turtles that lay their eggs has severely decreased in recent years. It has been estimated that during the 1950s, over 10,000 of these turtles called the beaches on Rantau Abang their home. Recently the local government have declared these turtles extinct as no turtle landings have been sighted for quite some time. The biggest reason for the decline has been poachers
who take the turtle eggs and sell them in local villages as turtle eggs are a local delicacy. The Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre has been set up in Rantau Abang to spearhead conservation efforts.
Terengganu
Terengganu is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Iman...
, Malaysia. While itself a very small village, Rantau Abang is most noted for its Leatherback Sea Turtle
Leatherback Sea Turtle
The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all living sea turtles and the fourth largest modern reptile behind three crocodilians. It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a bony shell. Instead, its...
nesting. Every year during the summer months (usually May through August), the turtles come ashore and lay their eggs.
While a noted tourist spot, the number of sea turtles that lay their eggs has severely decreased in recent years. It has been estimated that during the 1950s, over 10,000 of these turtles called the beaches on Rantau Abang their home. Recently the local government have declared these turtles extinct as no turtle landings have been sighted for quite some time. The biggest reason for the decline has been poachers
Poaching
Poaching is the illegal taking of wild plants or animals contrary to local and international conservation and wildlife management laws. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.It may be illegal and in...
who take the turtle eggs and sell them in local villages as turtle eggs are a local delicacy. The Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre has been set up in Rantau Abang to spearhead conservation efforts.