Telur Penyu hatchery in Libaran draws tourists
Published on: Monday, July 20, 2015
Sandakan: The Telur Penyu hatchery centre in Pulau Libaran, which was set up two years ago, is not only a tourist attraction but also contributes towards cleanliness efforts in the village there.This is due to the commitment of tour operator, Trekkers Lodge Sdn Bhd, with the cooperation of the villagers in the island, which is located about 40 minutes by boat from Sandakan town.The Sabah Wildlife Department also supports the centre's efforts.
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Trekkers Lodge Managing Director Alexander Yee said efforts to clean up the island included the coastal areas to help increase the number of turtle landings for turtles to lay eggs."It is being carried out through the adoption programme by Trekkers Lodge with the cooperation of Friend of Sea Turtles Education and Research (Foster) since last February," he said here.He said the area was divided into 60 lots, with each lot measuring 50 metres long and five villagers selected to take part in the programme.Yee said coastal areas littered with cow dung, rubbish and wood made it difficult for turtles to land for egg-laying while the coastal environment was also affected.
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Through the programme, he said several companies and government agencies had come forward to contribute funds to be channelled to Foster for paying the allowance of villagers involved on the coastal cleaning up work.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Pulau Libaran, which has 450 residents, is a turtle landing area due to its proximity to Pulau Penyu Park, comprising Pulau Selingan, Bakungan Kecil and ulisan.
