Philippine forest turtles stand a ‘good chance’ after first wild release

MANILA — The Philippines’ most traded turtle species, and among the world’s rarest, received a bit of a population boost as researchers introduced two juveniles in the wilds of the island of Palawan. The release occurred in February this year, but researchers only made the announcement this month. They add that the turtles’ behaviors recorded in the months since their release indicate they have a good chance of surviving in the wild. The Philippine forest turtle (Siebenrockiella leytensis) is a freshwater species found nowhere else in the world. Heavy poaching of this turtle over the past 15 y...