JURUTI, Pará state, Brazil — In Juruti, located in the western Pará state of Brazil, residents from 32 communities are uniting in a crucial effort to conserve various turtle species, including the Amazon turtle (Podocnemis expansa), tracajá (P. unifilis), pitiú (P. sextuberculata), and irapuca (P. erythrocephala). These dedicated riverside dwellers actively monitor beaches during the spawning season, collecting turtle eggs and transporting them to protected hatcheries. Their efforts are proving successful, with some communities safeguarding up to 300 nests in a single season.

The Brazilian Amazon is a key region for chelonian conservation, hosting 21 scientifically described species, 14 of which are found in Juruti, including one endemic species. Despite legal protections, the consumption of turtle eggs and meat remains a local tradition, posing ongoing threats to these species. Additionally, mining and dam construction projects further jeopardize their survival.

Watch the video to learn more about the vital conservation work being done in Juruti and the challenges faced in preserving these remarkable turtles.

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Banner image: Tracajás protected by riverside dwellers in the Tucunaré community, municipality of Juruti (PA). Image by Julia Lemos Lima/Mongabay.

Riverine communities join forces to preserve threatened Amazon turtles