Hatchlings of hawksbill sea turtles in Hihifo - Wallis and Futuna
Seriously threatened young turtles were observed this week on the island of Nukutapu (Hihifo) in the lagoon of Wallis and Futuna.
This is proof of the impact of the formidable action of the territorial environmental service in the fight against invasive species on the islands.
For decades, hawksbill turtle populations have been impacted by the presence of invasive rodents, which are a well-known predator of sea turtle eggs.
The rats were removed from the islet Nukutapu (Hihifo) in 2021 by the Wallis and Futuna Territorial Environment Service as part of the EU-funded PROTEGE project, with the support of the PRISMSS Predator Free Pacific Technical Officer, Island Conservation.
The hatching of these little turtles on an islet without the presence of rats gave them a great start in life!
Watch the video on the FB of SPREP, the implementing agency of the Invasive Species theme at PROTEGE:
Photo copyright: Channer - Wikipedia
Video copyright : Matthieu Juncker, Caroline Brial
