Environmental agents from Brazil’s Chico Mendes Institute on Saturday released thousands of giant Amazon River turtle hatchlings into the waters of the Abufari Biological Reserve in Tapauá, in the northern state of Amazonas, the latest phase of a yearslong effort to protect one of the Amazon Basin’s most vulnerable species.
The release marked a seasonal milestone in a conservation program that monitors nesting sites, safeguards eggs and tracks population data for the giant river turtle, known scientifically as Podocnemis expansa.
The Abufari reserve, which contains one of the largest egg-laying areas for the species and sits within a strictly protected zone, has emerged as a key refuge as habitat loss, illegal wildlife trafficking and river pollution continue to threaten turtle populations across the region.
Turtle hatchlings (podocnemis expansa) wait to be released at the Abufari Biological Reserve, in Tapaua, Amazonas state, Brazil, Nov. 17, 2025. (AP Photo)
Officials said the hatchlings were collected from monitored nests and kept under controlled conditions until they were strong enough to survive in the wild. Conservation teams will continue patrolling the beaches during the nesting period, when adult females return to the reserve’s sandy banks to lay their eggs.
The release is one of several measures Brazilian environmental authorities have taken to reverse declining numbers of the species, which plays an important ecological role in the Amazon’s river systems.
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