|
 PENGHU, Taiwan (AP) - People once thought nothing of killing the green turtles on these islands for their meat and eggs, decimating the rare species' ranks along the way. But local efforts to save the creatures — through a nesting reserve, a veterinary clinic and even a beach patrol — still aren't guaranteed to revive the species' numbers, authorities say.
Worldwide, there are only about 200,000 of the green turtles, conservationists say. Fewer than 20 females have been laying eggs on Penghu, a collection of picturesque islets about 25 miles off the western Taiwanese coast.
Green turtles are large hard-shelled sea turtles, an endangered species protected by conservation laws in many countries. They get the name from the greenish color of their bodies, rather than the color of their shells, which varies from black to yellow to brown.
|
|