YPI has been granted a conservation management permit for sea turtles on Belambangan Island since February 11, 2019, and technically, YPI began deploying field officers on February 28, 2019. However, long before that, the survey team had already conducted an initial review of Belambangan Island since 2016.
The first impression of the survey team visiting the island was that it was eerie and dirty. The 9.3-hectare island still had dense forests, was uninhabited by humans, and its beaches were littered with plastic waste—both local and international waste, from countries like Malaysia, the Philippines, and China.
At that time, the survey team was already saddened by the sight of sea turtles attempting to lay eggs amid the plastic trash. This was nothing compared to the concern about how much plastic the turtles might be ingesting, or how many hatchlings might be dying from being trapped in plastic bags. The survey team suspected that plastic was the “main predator” and the biggest threat to turtle conservation here.
However, it turned out that the team’s assumption was wrong. One night, the survey team set up camp in one of the forest corners on the island. It was never quiet due to the constant sound of waves crashing. Despite the noise, the team members still heard footsteps, as if something was lurking.
The sound never went away and accompanied them throughout the night. When one of the team members shone a powerful flashlight, they saw pairs of jumping lights. It turned out to be rats. The next morning, the team found tracks of these small creatures all over the sand. Upon further investigation, it became clear that the rats were extremely aggressive and ate anything, from hermit crabs to baby turtles (hatchlings).
The survey team recorded this event in preparation for the next visit to Belambangan Island. On the following visit, YPI brought a type of rat poison called “red rice” from China. In Berau, this poison is very expensive, but its effectiveness is beyond question. The rats died instantly after chewing on the red rice.
On one occasion, the YPI team managed to kill 6 rats in one night using just one batch of poison. As of the writing of this article, more than 60 rats had fallen victim to the deadly red rice poison.
Be cautious, rats can prey on baby turtles.
Six rats in one night.
