KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Malaysia has set aside 60 hectares of land off the east coast state of Terengganu to help conserve its dwindling number of endangered sea turtles.
The turtle sanctuary is the country's first, with more expected to follow in the future.
Leatherback turtles are considered one of the world's most endangered species, with only 10 known nesting sites in the world. Terengganu state in Malaysia is one of them.
But in recent years, the number of leatherback nests in the state has fallen to less than 10, from more than 10,000 a few decades ago, Channel NewsAsia reported Thursday.
Excessive egg collection has been identified as one of the biggest threats to sea turtles. Destruction and degradation of their feeding and breeding grounds have also contributed to the steep decline in sea turtle populations.
