Description:

The yellow-spotted river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis) is a native species, traditionally used by Indigenous people for meat and eggs. In response to the perceived decline of the yellow-spotted river turtle along the Rupununi river, grassroot organizations from the region have taken the lead in turtle conservation actions together with local communities.

Since 2019, their turtle conservation efforts have been supported and scaled up with funding and technical support from the SWM Programme. The turtle conservation programme includes in-situ and ex-situ conservation actions that focus on the most vulnerable development stages of the species, namely the eggs and hatchlings.

The SWM Programme in Guyana is encouraging coordinated community-driven initiatives that support food security and traditional livelihoods.