Colombia's Indigenous Wayuu People Skip Eating Turtle Meat to Save Them from Extinction

Here is a great story that is bound to warm the cockles of the heart of the conservation fraternity.

Wayuu people of Colombia have shown that carefully crafted conservation strategy can pay rich dividends. For Wayuu people eating turtle meat as a main protein source is an age-old tradition.

Turtles were becoming scarcer and scarcer over the years. Conservationist drove home the ground realities and the need to protect the turtles to Wayuu people. The Wayuu people were all ears and the community decided to skip eating turtle meat.

At a beach on Bahia Hondita the Wayuu children released 200 Caguama turtles aided by the local NGO the Wayuu Taya Foundation. Community volunteers patrol the beach three times a day to monitor nests and protect baby turtles from natural predators.

This is a glowing example of empowering the community to protect wildlife. We need more such efforts all over the world.