Tomorrow (2nd June 2008), we will be releasing 70 three-year-old painted terrapins that have been raised by us in the Terrapin Head Starting Facility in the university for the last 3 years. The release will be performed by 14 members of the Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Amitabha, our longterm sponsor who has been supporting our work for many years. Saving river terrapin eggs from human consumption, incubating the eggs and raising the hatchlings with loving kindness is consistent with the beliefs of the Persatuan.

Five of us (Nurul, Fong, Zam, Soleha and myself) spent the greater part of last Thursday (29th May) preparing the terrapins for release. We scrubbed all the terrapins and clipped the first toe nail of the right front limb from every individual in order to identify the cohort. Additionally, the scute markings were deepened for individual identification. The same procedure was performed on 78 two-year-old painted terrapins hatched in 2006, but clipping the second toe nail of the right front limb instead.

The 70 three year olds had an average body weight of 1.65 kg and straight carapace length and width of 21.6 and 17.1 cm respectively.

Toe clipping as a means of identification has been successfully carried out on other river terrapin species as well.

Tomorrow will be a hectic day. We will set off from the UMT campus at 7.30 am to the Setiu River to resume the tracking work on river terrapins. I will join the Persatuan at 12 noon for the terrapin release, then proceed to Redang with the group at 3 pm for a 2 day and one-night visit to Chagar Hutang.

I would like to end this post by expressing my gratitude. Firsty, thanks to the Fisheries Department for allowing us to take the painted terrapin hatchlings and eggs from their hatchery in Kampong Mangkuk in 2005 for research and head-starting. Pak Yeng the hatchery keeper and his son Karim were very accommodating and kind when we visited them for the hatchlings and eggs. Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Amitabha is acknowledged for the many years of support they have given and still continue to give us. James, Mr. Liew and Harith will be assisting in the river tracking work while Nurul and Fong will be in charge of bringing the terrapins and the Persatuan members to Penarik for the release ceremony.

• The terrapins have been released
• Excavating the terrapin nests in Kampung Mangkok
• Orchestrating three activities in a day
• Freedom for 50 terrapins
• More terrapins in Sungai Setiu