YACUTAYTA
Management Plan of the “Taricaya”
The “taricaya” (Podocnemis unifilis) is a water turtle that lives on the banks and rivers of the Amazon. It starts laying its eggs between 5 and 6 years of age, burying them along the beaches. The eggs are well appreciated on the local market, and the main threat this animal faces is the illegal over-harvesting of its eggs. The population of this species has been monitored in the Reserve since 1979.
In 1994, with the support of the Pro-Naturaleza Foundation and the Director of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, the Community of Manco Cápac began to develop a management program for the taricaya turtle. The implementation of this program, with active participation from the local population, became the major factor in the conservation of this species within the Reserve.
The program involves the collection and incubation of turtle eggs by community members and volunteers, with later release of the hatchlings. It has resulted in the liberation of more than 174,000 young turtles to date.
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