Cambodia4Kids.Org

A Microchip saves a rare Cambodian turtle!

A microchip saves a rare Cambodian turtle from the soup pot! via AP story on Yahoo News.

Poachers had snatched this "Royal Turtle" in Cambodia (named because its eggs were once fed to kings) from a Cambodian river two months ago and toted it across the Vietnamese border on a motorbike with a stash of other, more common, turtles.   

After a wildlife specialist helped identified it as a Batagur baska, a species thought to have disappeared in Cambodia until it was rediscovered in 2001, a microchip implemented in the turtle's skin was discovered.   Conservationists eventually began tagging the animals with tracking devices and monitoring their nests, and King Norodom Sihamoni personally ordered their protection.

The microship helped the turtle be repatriated back to Cambodia.   

The Sanctuary

The Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) is designed to protect Cambodia's natural attributes and shine a positive international spotlight on the country.  There is an excellent photo gallery of Cambodian animals, including elephants, tigers, leopards, primates and indigenous hoofed animals.  While not extensive, there is also some very brief background information on the animals.   To gather more indepth background, I suggest the Junglewalk Site and Save Cambodia Wildlife.