Feitsui Reservoir (翡翠水庫) in New Taipei City has the largest and most stable population of yellow-margined box turtles in Asia, administrators said on Monday.
About 1,296 hectares of the reservoir are designated as conservation zones for the reptile also known as the Chinese box turtle, Taipei Feitsui Reservoir Administration Commissioner Lin Yu-i (林裕益) said in a news release.
Specialized rangers patrol and survey the reservoir to ensure long-term protection of the turtles, he said through the news release regarding the World Ranger Day.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Feitsui Reservoir Administration
World Ranger Day was established in 1992 by the International Ranger Federation to honor forest rangers’ quiet dedication to protecting nature and to remind the world of the importance of preserving forests, the news release said.
The dense forests surrounding the reservoir are significant for carbon reduction, water and soil conservation, and they provide an important habitat for many species, Lin said.
The administration hired one additional ranger after the box turtle conservation zones were designated to help with supervision of the area, patrols and clearing illegal traps, Management Division Director-General Liang Yi-fan (梁逸帆) said.
Rangers are also responsible for box turtle rehabilitation, reintroduction of the turtles into the wild and public education, Liang added.
The job comes with a certain level of risk, considering rangers’ limited numbers and dangers associated with working outdoors, Liang said.
Ranger Chen Tai-yu (陳泰佑) said that one time he fell more than 10m into a ravine and was lucky not to land on a rock.
One time when setting up a wildlife camera, he accidentally disturbed a hornet nest and was stung 13 times, mainly on his head, Chen said.
Although the work can be difficult, he said that every time he sees a box turtle living happily in the park, he feels a sense of joy and accomplishment in the knowledge that his sacrifices are worthwhile.
The yellow-margined box turtle is Taiwan’s only terrestrial freshwater turtle, the administration said.
Although its Chinese name is “snake-eating turtle” (食蛇龜), it actually does not eat snakes, it said, adding that the species actually loves eating earthworms.
When frightened it sometimes emits snake-like sounds, which is potentially the source of the misunderstanding, it said.
The administration also manages a “halfway house” for endangered turtles, where they can convalesce before being reintroduced to the wild, the administration said, adding that the administration does not accept turtles from outside the area to avoid diseases and genetic mixing.
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