The Making of Malaysia's Fortunate Tuntung

Baska: Bewitched by Batagur

One of the modern strongholds for turtles of the genus Batagur is Malaysia, where several factors have led turtles of the genus to exist in a relatively good situation. This country is home to two species: the Southern River terrapin (B. affinis) and the Painted River terrapin (B. borneoensis), and would have the largest wild (and probably captive) populations of both of these species. Why this is so is doubtless due to a number of factors including the ecosystem niche area available for these species to inhabit, the culture of the peoples of Malaysia, the relative political stability and subsequent economic stability of the nation, and the efforts of conservationists within and beyond government that have focused on these species for many years.

Ecologically, the land and hydrology of the area that Malaysia exists on is rich, being tropical, with a great spine of mountains in the interior and an abundant hydrology that benefits from two monsoons. The landscape has made for large rivers, though none of the "great" rivers of the world. These rivers provide ample estuary areas that nourish many mangrove trees. The peninsula's west coast appears to have larger rivers like the Perak that is famed in Batagur history as the site of Ed Moll's poetic (1978) paper, "Drumming along the Perak." The east coast has smaller but by no means less important rivers, with significant populations of Painted and Southern River terrapins. The relatively low human population density also contributes to less conflict over resources than in neighbouring countries (96-97 people/km2).

The predominant religion of Malaysia is Islam and is practiced by the ethnic majority Malays. Islam generally considers amphibious animals to be haram (unlawful to eat; though this is not strictly adhered to) so as the majority of fishermen are Malay, turtles are not caught for consumption. This apparently does not restrict the sale of turtles or the consumption of eggs, with Indonesia's turtle populations being traded in huge volumes. While Malays might be the majority, ethnic Chinese and Indians have lived in Malaysia for some time, being a welcoming midway point on sea trade routes between these two huge countries and also a common destination during the Colonial period. Like most of southeast Asia, there are various indigenous ethnic minorities that now exist in the margins of the country. Periods of colonisation are generally exploitative of the native inhabitants and this time also contained the Malayan Emergency or Anti-British National Liberation War; these drivers of unrest both had harmful effects. Being in a key area for trade and having had a relatively peaceful history, Malaysia has existed as an economically successful country and inhabitants of such countries much less rely on subsistence from wild plants and animals than they might, which has benefited this country's wildlife.

Lastly, having a stable government and economic comfort, there have been many conservation needs identified and successfully acted upon in Malaysia. I return to "Drumming along the Perak," in which Ed Moll documented the population decline of the Southern River terrapin.

"The effect of the digging is dazzling. Moonlight reflects off the arched streams of sand being thrown up in all directions, transforming the beach into a silvery fountain"

Moll, 1978, p36

This paper was released at a time when very little scientific or conservation turtle work was occurring outside of western nations. While there was also work being done by local scientists throughout Asia, Moll's paper (this and his many many others) raised the profile of this species greatly. Since then, Malaysia's Department of Fisheries and Department Wildlife and National Parks (PERHILITAN) have completed much work on Batagur, with monitoring, habitat protection, and headstarting efforts all well established. Two people who have done more for Malaysia's Batagur than anyone in recent years are Prof. Eng Heng Chan and her protege, Dr. Chen Pelf Nyok. Prof. Chan came via sea turtle research and through her own work and that of her students achieved great outcomes for River terrapins in particular. Dr. Chen teamed up with Prof. Chan as a postgraduate and together they founded the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS). Through rigorous ecological research and community-based conservation and advocacy, the TCS has been instrumental in helping the current state of Batagur species in Malaysia.

References:
Moll, E. O. 1978. Drumming along the Perak. Natural History 87: 36-43