We took to the road from 16 – 120th February to visit the Sam Poh Tong and Kek Lok Si Temples in Ipoh and Penang to inventory turtles kept in the temple ponds. I have been meaning to do this a long time, but never found the time and enough hands for the job. Thus when Canadians Brennan and Ashley came to Terengganu as volunteers for three weeks, it seemed the perfect timing!
The Sam Poh Tong tortoise pond was rather small and housed about 265 turtles comprising 5 species, all native to Malaysia except for the red-eared slider. Here the water was changed irregularly and living conditions for the turtles were rather poor.
The Kek Lok Si Temple pond was much larger and water was completely changed every alternate day. Here, we found 9 species, including a non-native species, the pig-nosed turtle. There were approximately 710 turtles in three ponds. I will tell the rest of the story in pictures, taken mostly by Brennan and Ashley.
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- Turtles in Sam Poh Tong temple, Ipoh
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- Ashley fishing turtles in Sam Poh Tong temple, Ipoh
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- Measuring turtles in Sam Poh Tong temple, Ipoh
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- Turtles in Sam Poh Tong temple, Ipoh
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- Turtles in Sam Poh Tong temple, Ipoh
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- The turtle enclosure in Sam Poh Tong temple, Ipoh
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- Fishing a turtle in Sam Poh Tong temple, Ipoh
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- Measuring turtles in Sam Poh Tong temple, Ipoh
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- Kek Lok Si temple, Penang
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- Turtles in Kek Lok Si temple, Penang
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- Turtles in Kek Lok Si temple, Penang
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- Turtles in Kek Lok Si temple, Penang
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- Processing turtles in Kek Lok Si temple, Penang
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- Processing turtles in Kek Lok Si temple, Penang
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- Pelf with a fly river turtle in Kek Lok Si temple, Penang
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- Brennan measuring a turtle in Kek Lok Si temple, Penang
Pictures 1 to 8 were taken at the Sam Poh Tong temple in Ipoh, whereas pictures 9 to 16 were taken at the Kek Lok Si temple in Penang.
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