About 70 years ago, a Mexican Engineer named Andres Herrera came across a beach in Northeastern Mexico that were filled with Kemp's ridley sea turtles. Kemp's ridley sea turtles are the smallest, rarest, and endangered species of sea turtles. Herrera shot footage of the 40,000 turtle nesting on the beach that day. By the time scientists saw that footage, the number of Kemp's ridley sea turtles have plummeted. These turtles are targeted by poachers because of the fact that their eggs are viewed as prized aphrodisiacs. Herrera's film sparked an international movement to increase number of Kemp's ridleys. A major part of these turtle's recovery can be accredited to the National Park Service's Padre Island National Seashore. It is also know as the largest nesting site for Kemp's ridley sea turtles. Their workers work hard to collect and incubate eggs they find. When they hatch, they are released into the ocean as soon as possible. Even though they are still endangered, the number of Kemp's ridleys are fortunately increasing.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/07/28/science/kemps-ridleys-sea-turtles-padre-island.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=6&pgtype=sectionfront
http://www.conserveturtles.org/seaturtleinformation.php?page=kemps-ridley
So frustrating about the drive for the poachers! The same is happening to the sharks with shark fin soup. It's so terrible!
ReplyDeleteNothing makes me more angery than poachers. It's frustrating that all they think about is money and not the beauty of nature. One day I hope to be part of the team that will bring down poaching.
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