News

TEMPO/Marifka Wahyu Hidayat

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Security officers of Mozes Kilangin Airport Timika, Papua have thwarted an attempt to smuggle thousands of pig-nosed turtles to Jakarta by Sriwijaya Air flight, Thursday, March 24, 2016.

Conservation Division Chief of Region II Timika Yohan Frans Mansay said that the number of pig-nosed turtles attempted to be smuggled was 1,220.

The turtles were packed in two cardboard boxes. “A person, with the initial “S”, carried an item to Timika Airport terminal. During the examination in x-ray machine, officers had suspicions about the item before [eventually] seizing it. The officers called the quarantine agency. Upon checking the cardboard boxes, they found thousands of protected pig-nosed turtles in it,” Yohan said.

“S” works as ground handling officer of Sriwijaya Air at Mozes Kilangin Airport Timika. Yohan could not confirm on who the owner of hundreds of pig-nosed turtles was. “We have reported it to Papua’s Head of BKSDA [conservation center]. We will wait for the arrival of civil service investigators to investigate the case,” he said.

“We call for support from all parties to help us in preventing pig-nosed turtles smuggling from Papua because it’s a protected species,” Yohan said.

In February, Timika Airport authorities had also thwarted smuggling attempt of 3,220 pig-nosed turtles from Timika to Jakarta which was packed in four luggages.

Pig-nosed turtle is a protected species endemic to Papua. The endangered species live only in southern districts of Papua, such as Mappi, Asmat and Mimika.

Source : tempo.co

15 pignosed turtles were secured when they were about to be smuggled into Kalimantan using MT, Saturday (24/2). (ANTARA/HO/South Papua Quarantine Doc)

JAKARTA – South Papua’s quarantine thwarted the smuggling of a pig-snouting tortoise that was about to be sent through Merauke Harbor.

“It is true that quarantine officers have thwarted the smuggling of pig-nosed turtles that will be smuggled using the MT Motorboat bound for Kalimantan on Saturday (February 24),” said South Papua Quarantine Head Cahyono when contacted in Jayapura, Sunday, February 25 evening, confiscated by Antara.

It was recorded that 15 pig-nosed turtles were put in buckets which were placed on the shoe racks, then covered with cloth.

In his written statement, Cahyono regretted that there were still irresponsible people who brought protected endemic animals.

“We must maintain natural resources in Papua, both flora and fauna so that they remain sustainable, because if they do not, they can accelerate their extinction and disrupt their natural habitat ecosystem,” he said.

Head of the South Papua Quarantine Law Enforcement Team, Suwarna Duwipa, added that the smuggling of 15 pig-nosed turtles and a dilute bird was thwarted through surveillance at the port.

The supervision was carried out on ships that were about to leave Merauke Harbor to prevent smuggling, especially protected animals and plants in accordance with Article 72 of Law Number 21 of 2019 concerning Animal, Fish, and Tumbuhan Quarantine.

Quarantine has the task of monitoring and controlling wild plants and animals, as well as rare plants and animals.

Moreover, the pig-nosed tortoise is an endemic animal in the southern region of Papua that is protected because its presence in nature is small.

“According to the International Union Conservation Nature (IUCN), the pig-snouting tortoise has a vulnerable status, and is included in the redlist of Appendix II by the International Convention Trade in Endangerd Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES),” said Duwipa.

The pig-nosed tortoise will be handed over to the Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA) of the Merauke area as the agency authorized to carry out further processes.

Source: voi.id

A visitor to the Singapore Zoo recently came across a turtle by its lonesome in its exhibit.

In a now-viral TikTok which has garnered over 555,000 views, the turtle was seen swimming in its exhibit, tailing the camera.

The TikTok user, @peters.human, claimed that the turtle was “really lonely”.

“He’s the only turtle in the enclosure and I can tell he wants human attention because he kept following us when we were walking,” wrote the TikTok user.

@peters.human This was the first exhibit we saw, and we were the first few people in the zoo for the day. When we walked past, the turtle quickly swam to us and when we walked down, he followed us along the stretch. We wanted to see if he was actually following us, so we walked back to the start of the tank and he swam back to be near us! Many people just walked past this enclosure because it’s empty and he’s the only one in it… he’s lonely. @Mandai Wildlife Reserve please explain why he’s the only one in the enclosure! #tiktoksg #singaporetiktok #singaporezoo #zoo #pignosedturtle #turtle #turtletok #pignose #animals #aquaticlife #visit #him #lonely #im #not #crying ♬ All audios on Maguropuff_ – Puff ♢

TikTok users in the comments chimed in with exclamations of how cute the turtle’s antics were.

Pig-nosed turtles are curious

In response to Mothership‘s queries, a spokesperson from Mandai Wildlife Group shared that the pig-nosed turtle, also known as a fly river turtle, is a male.

He is housed at the riverine exhibit in the Pygmy hippo zone at the Singapore Zoo.

The turtle is estimated to be 21 years old and currently shares its habitat with filament barbs, a type of fish.

The spokesperson said that this species of turtle is known to be inquisitive, and “generally like to investigate the happenings around them”.

“They can often be observed swimming along the tank as guests walk by, due to their curious behaviour.”

This behaviour, which was displayed in the TikTok video, is therefore not a sign of loneliness or stress, the spokesperson said.

Alone but not lonely

The Mandai Wildlife Group spokesperson added that the pig-nosed turtle is a solitary species, and individuals only come together during the breeding season.

“As they are territorial and aggressive by nature, individuals of the same species are not housed together,” they added.

A TikTok user who works for Mandai Wildlife Group also voiced his opinion on this issue in a video.

Clarifying that he was sharing his views in his own personal capacity, user @p1kashiu said that many people tend to view animals as “mini-humans”

That is erroneous. Many animals are “alone but not lonely”, @p1kashiu noted.

When it is not the breeding season, animals may see other individuals as a threat to their food and resources.

“So a lot of animals, especially turtles, prefer to be alone,” he said, echoing what the Mandai Wildlife Group spokerson said about the solitary nature of this species.

Take terrapins for example. Individuals tend to get more aggressive as they get older and larger.

@p1kashiu’s advice is not to keep more than one terrapin in the same space.

You can watch his full video here.

@p1kashiu Replying to @IlikeySegk TLDR- many turtles are not social like humans.#flyriverturtle #pignosedturtle #turtle #mandaiwildlifereserve #singaporezoo #singapore ♬ Chill Vibes – Tollan Kim

More about pig-nosed turtles

Pig-nosed turtles are native to Australia and New Guinea, and are so named due to their distinct fleshy snout.

Unlike other freshwater turtles, pig-nosed turtles have flippers, which resemble those of a sea turtle.

They are classified as “Endangered”, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The species’ main threats are the illegal pet trade, as well as demand for the turtles and eggs as food.

Source : mothership.sg

Yolarnie Amepou is the Director of the Piku Biodiversity Network. When she started teaching children in Kikori, located in the Gulf Province of Papua New Guinea, to stop hunting for highly threatened pig-nosed turtles, some parents were not too happy.

“One child told her mother, ‘Let me take the turtle to Larnie to measure it.’ And somewhere between her home and Larnie’s house, their dinner went missing,” Amepou chuckled.

Thanks to Amepou’s efforts with the Piku Biodiversity Network, the survival rate of baby turtles in Papua New Guinea has increased. Since 2012, the organization has been teaching the local Kikori Indigenous group, especially school children, to protect this important species while conducting conservation research with them.

Yolarnie Amepou demonstrates how to prepare a safety tub to incubate pig-nosed eggs as Obiri, a Turtle Ranger, observes so he can assist the Turtle Rangers replicate 19 more tubs. The eggs are moved from natural sandbanks and kept safely in these tubs awaiting hatching. Image credit: Courtesy of Piku Biodiversity Network

Pig-nosed turtles, Carettochelys insculpta, are endemic to northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. Also known as the Piku turtle, it plays a significant role in Papua New Guinean culture, even represented on the country’s 5t coin. But even this didn’t stop the Piku’s population decline. Due to human activity, they are now endangered. In Australia, destruction is their main threat, while in Papua New Guinea, it’s poaching.

The female Piku turtle is targeted the most. Not only do female turtles nest in groups, but when one starts to lay eggs, she goes into a trance and becomes oblivious to her surroundings. That is when she is most vulnerable to human predators. In 2011, scientists from the University of Canberra, Australia, identified that the Piku population had fallen by 57% in the last 30 years.

Kikori Turtle Rangers locating nests and relocating them to safety tubs. Image credit: Courtesy of Joyce Mavere, Kikori Turtle Rangers

There is also illegal trade. More than 80,000 pig-nosed turtles were confiscated by authorities between 2003 and 2013 in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. Because of this, Amepou started an educational campaign in the Kikori Delta, one of the main nesting sites for these turtles. Her approach consists of giving knowledge to the local community about the importance of pig-nosed turtles and providing them with an alternative source of livelihood.

Kikori Turtle Rangers

The organization and community established a project called “We Are the Kikori Turtle Rangers.” The rangers participate in turtle monitoring, incubation, and hatching, as well as education programs. Some of the rangers have been a part of this journey since they were children

Yolarnie Amepou with elementary students at Kikori for hatching activities. Image credit: Courtesy of Piku Biodiversity Network

“[Out of] all these rangers, ten of them have been part of the Piku activities in the past when they were in school. One of them was in Grade 4 when I first started coming here. Now, he is a grown man, with a family of his own. After all these years, you start to realize it’s not necessarily about the turtles, but about community empowerment, building a community to manage and take ownership of their resources. It then benefits the turtles,” Amepou says.

Amepou hopes to expand, working with more and more Kikori individuals promoting what a ranger does and can do in their community. However, one of the biggest challenges she faces is difficulty in coordinating the initiative. Seven different tribes live in the project area, each with their own distinct language. There is also a lack of funding which prevents many rangers from earning an income.

Optimistic, Amepou hopes one day she will be able to pay all the rangers and give the local community an opportunity for more jobs, while also participating in conservation. She wants to inspire the youth to lead. “The young people are already showing leadership and are having great influence within their communities,” said Amepou.

Source: www.oneearth.org

Photo : Researcher from IPB University’s Faculty of Forestry studies an adult pig-nosed turtle (Carrettochelys insculpta) in Boven Digoel Regency, South Papua Province

BOVEN DIGOEL – Tunas Sawa Erma (TSE) Group and IPB University joined hands in a pig-nosed turtle (Carrettochelys insculpta) preservation action in Kao and Muyu rivers in Boven Digoel Regency, Papua, Saturday (12/16). This freshwater animal is an endemic one, found only in South Papuan regencies like Asmat, Mappi, Merauke, and Boven Digoel.

The joint project was initiated in an agreement signing with IPB University researchers on a five-year conservation deal that began in 2022 and would end in 2026.

TSE Group’s role in this project is providing all the researchers’ needs, such as conservation equipment, accommodation, and transportation throughout the course of the research.

“Pig-nosed turtles are endemic to Papua. Our observations have so far found that their eggs are used by local communities, so we did an ecological study on the adult turtles to see their range of movement. Surely, TSE Group’s support has helped with the research and the conservation process,” said Mirza Dikari Kusrini, an environmental, reptile, and amphibian scientist from IPB.

Carettochelys insculpta is a protected species according to Agricultural Ministerial Decree No. 327/Kpts/Um/1978 and reinforced by Government Regulation 7/1999 and Environment & Forestry Ministerial Regulation No. P.20/Menlhk/Setjen/Kum.1/6/2018 (on protected flora and fauna). Its status calls for a need to prevent its extinction.

Photo : Part of the research in Kao River, Jair District, Boven Digoel Regency, South Papua

As a company based in Boven Digoel, TSE Group pays special attention to biodiversity and environmental safeguarding efforts around its operational areas. Doing this drives the firm to take part in initiatives that protect South Papua’s endemic species.

This action is also consistent with TSE Group’s commitment — as an oil palm plantation company in Papua — to practice sustainable palm oil governance and put out innovations to protect and maintain the biodiversity in the Birds-of-Paradise Land.

Source : tsegroup.co.id

Petugas Unit Pelaksanaan Teknis Balai Besar Karantina Ikan memperlihatkan barang bukti penyelundupan kura-kura Moncong Babi asal Papua saat menggelar barang bukti dan konfrensi pers Penggalan Pengeluaran Ekspor Komoditi Kura-Kura Moncong Babi, Lobster dan Kepiting Bertelur di Kementerian Kelautan Dan Perikanan, Gambir, Jakarta,Senin (19/1/2015). (ANTARA FOTO/Teresia May)

Jayapura (ANTARA News) – Dinas Kehutanan Provinsi Papua menyatakan populasi terbesar habitat asli kura-kura moncong babi tersebar di bagian selatan “Bumi Cenderawasih” itu, yaitu Kabupaten Asmat, Mappi, dan Merauke.

Kepala Dinas Kehutanan Provinsi Papua Jan Jap Ormuseray di Jayapura, Jumat, mengatakan satwa langka yang dilindungi tersebut belakangan sering diselundupkan, mengingat tingginya permintaan pasar luar negeri.

“Untuk itu, kami terus mendorong kura-kura moncong babi ini agar menjadi satwa buru dalam peraturan menteri yang kini tengah dibahas regulasinya,” katanya.

Jan menjelaskan dengan diterbitkannya peraturan menteri mengenai satwa buru di mana kura-kura moncong babi masuk di dalamnya, maka hewan ini dapat diternakan dan dikembangbiakan untuk kemudian dikomersialkan.

“Dengan ditetapkan sebagai satwa buru, maka kami dapat mempelopori dibentuknya kelompok atau koperasi masyarakat adat untuk memanfaatkan kura-kura moncong baik agar memberikan pendapatan secara legal,” ujarnya.

Dia menuturkan selain dapat memberikan pemasukan dan menyejahterakan masyarakat, bisa juga meningkatkan pendapatan asli daerah di tempat habitat aslinya.

“Hal ini juga dapat mengurangi kasus-kasus penyelundupan kura-kura moncong babi ke luar dari Papua seperti yang terjadi di awal 2016, di mana pihak Bandara Moses Kilangin Timika bersama instansi terkait berhasil menggagalkan upaya pengirimannya secara ilegal,” katanya.

Meskipun upaya penyelundupan 6.967 ekor kura-kura moncong babi berhasil digagalkan dan akhirnya dikembalikan lagi ke habitat aslinya di Kabupaten Asmat, katanya, hal itu harus menjadi perhatian khusus agar tidak terulang lagi pada masa mendatang.

Sumber: www.antaranews.com

Kura-kura moncong babi, hewan endemik Papua yang terancam punah karena banyak diselundupkan ke luar negeri. (Foto : Reptil Indonesia)

JAKARTA, iNews.id – Labi-labi moncong babi (Carettochelys insculpta) merupakan ikan dengan jenis kura-kura berpunggung (cangkang) lunak, anggota suku Trionychidae. Hewan reptil ini sering juga disebut dengan nama kura-kura.

Kura-kura moncong babi merupakan hewan endemik Papua yang populasinya di alam bebas sangat terancam. Selain diburu untuk dikonsumsi, hewan peliharaan populer ini sering diselundupkan ke luar negeri (Cina dan Taiwan) untuk dikonsumsi sebagai obat.

Secara umum kura-kura moncong babi hidup di sejumlah sungai di daerah bagian selatan Papua. Populasi terbesarnya di Kabupaten Asmat, Mappi dan Merauke.

Kura-kura moncong babi merupakan satwa liar endemik Papua yang dilindungi Undang-Undang berdasarkan Peraturan Menteri Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehutanan Republik Indonesia Nomor P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018. Sebagai satwa dilindung, maka penyelundup reptil ini terancam penjara.

Saat ini, Taman Nasional Gunung Lorentz menjadi tempat perlindungan terakhirnya. Sebab satwa langka tersebut belakangan sering diselundupkan, mengingat tingginya permintaan pasar luar negeri.

Karakteristik kura-kura moncong babi

Kura-kura moncong babi tidak seperti spesies kura-kura air tawar lainnya yang memiliki kaki sebagai alat gerak. Pada reptil ini, kaki labi-labi berfungsi sebagai sirip, menyerupai penyu.

Hidungnya terlihat seperti babi yang memiliki lubang hidung di ujung moncong berdaging. Inilah mengapa namanya disebut kura kura hidung babi (pig-nosed turtle).

Tempurungnya biasanya berwarna abu-abu dengan tekstur kasar. Sementara plastron berwarna krem. Untuk membedakan jantan dan betina dapat dilihat dari bentuk ekornya yang lebih panjang dan lebih sempit. Kura-kura moncong babi bisa tumbuh hingga sekitar 70 cm dengan berat lebih dari 20 kg.

Satwa ini merupakan jenis omnivora yang berarti memakan tumbuhan dan hewan. Namun kura-kura ini lebih menyukai tanaman dan buah daripada binatang di alam liar.

Sumber: papua.inews.id

Kura-Kura Moncong Babi Diamankan BKSDA Sumbar akan dikirim ke Timika Papua

Infosumbar.net – Balai Konservasi Sumberdaya Alam (BKSDA) Sumatera Barat telah mengamankan Kura-kura moncong babi (Carettochelys insculpta) dan Kura-kura baning coklat (Manouria emys), satwa tersebut akan dikembalikan ke Timika, Kecamatan Mimika Baru, Kabupaten Mimika. Provinsi Papua, pada Jumat (27/5/2022).

Sebelumnya satwa tersebut sudah diamankan dari seorang terdakwa dengan inisial MIH yang merupakan warga kota Payakumbuh yang diamankan langsung oleh tim Wildlife Rescue unit (WRU) BKSDA Sumbar bekerjasama dengan Ditreskrimsus Polda Sumbar pada tanggal 7 Maret 2022.

Adapun barang bukti yang sudah diamankan diantaranya 472 ekor Kura-kura moncong babi dari Papua serta 6 ekor Kura-kura baning coklat. Kemudian untuk barang bukti 6 ekor baning coklat telah di lepasliarkan di Taman Hutan Raya (Tahura) Bung Hatta yang mana lokasi tersebut berbatasan langsung dengan Suaka Margasatwa Bukit Barisan

Kepala BKSDA Sumbar Ardi Andono mengatakan kasus perdagangan ilegal Kura-kura moncong babi dan Kura-kura baning coklat sudah masuk dalam proses persidangan di Pengadilan Tinggi Negeri Payakumbuh.

Dalam sidang itu para saksi juga meminta kepada hakim untuk memberikan izin agar kura-kura moncong babi yang masih hidup bisa dilepasliarkan untuk kembali ke habitatnya.

“Kita berharap agar dapat dikembalikan ke Papua tepatnya di Timika melalui BKSDA Papua,” kata Ardi Andono.

Ardi Andono juga menjelaskan bahwa pihaknya juga telah melakukan kerjasama Balai Karantina Ikan dan BKSDA Daerah Khusus Ibukota (DKI) Jakarta untuk proses pengurusan transit nantinya di Jakarta.

Ia juga berharap agar penyelesaian kasus tersebut berjalan dengan lancar, dan pelaku mendapatkan vonis maksimal dengan tujuan agar menimbulkan efek jera terhadap penjual dan seluruh jaringannya.

Diketahui sebelumnya pelaku dan satwa yang dilindungi itu sudah diamankan oleh BKSDA Sumatera Barat dengan Ditreskrimsus Polda Sumbar, pelaku dan barang bukti yang didapatkan sudah diamankan pada Senin (7/3/2022) sekitar pukul 22:00 WIB di Kota Payakumbuh, Provinsi Sumatera Barat. (Ism02)

Sumber: www.infosumbar.net