Stunning new footage captured hundreds of thousands of baby giant South American river turtles as they hatched, marking the world's largest hatching of baby turtles in history.
Beginning in September, an estimated 80,000 adult female turtles laid their eggs on beaches along the Guaporé/Iténez River, which is also the border between Brazil and Bolivia.
World's Largest Hatching Of Baby Turtles | Advocate Today
Conservationists are currently working to create protection areas for the nests, and say that cooperation between the countries is integral to establish safe boundaries for the turtles.
The turtles began hatching in late 2022, and have proceeded into January. Using drones and thermal imaging, The Wildlife Conservation Society was able to estimate the population size, which continues to grow.
Omar Torrico, a biologist and drone pilot with the group, told The Washington Post that more research is needed to support the species, especially as the world begins to feel the impact of climate change.
“We need to know its biology, its population," Torrico said. "Maybe climate change is going to be one of the problems for the future. And so we think assessing the population is one of the most important things to know.”
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