Key facts
- Alexander Yee, nicknamed 'Turtle Man,' has been involved in turtle conservation efforts in Sabah since 2010.
- Libaran Island, near Sabah's Turtle Islands Park, is a nesting ground for green turtles.
- Villagers on Libaran Island previously consumed and sold turtle eggs before conservation efforts began.
- Yee's conservation efforts have led to the release of 44,900 baby turtles.
- Volunteer ranger Roziah Jelali spent three months tracking a suspected turtle poacher in 2023.
In Sabah, Malaysia, dedicated individuals are working to combat the illegal poaching of endangered sea turtles. Roziah Jelali, a 36-year-old volunteer ranger, has employed tactics like using binoculars and patience to track down suspected poachers, once spending three months pursuing an individual believed to be illegally capturing protected turtles.
Alexander Yee, widely known as the 'Turtle Man,' has been instrumental in shifting the community's perspective on turtle conservation on Libaran Island. For years, villagers on the island, located near Sabah's Turtle Islands Park, regularly collected and consumed turtle eggs, unaware of the endangered status of the species. Yee began his campaign in 2014, educating residents about the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997, which protects green turtles.
Yee, a businessman who initially saw conservation as a corporate social responsibility, has since made it a lifetime commitment. He established a turtle hatchery on Libaran Island, facing initial financial constraints and resistance from villagers who were accustomed to harvesting eggs. As of July, his efforts have resulted in the release of 44,900 baby turtles. The village chief of Kg Pulau Libaran, Sarief Nasidip Uyung, noted that before 2013, turtle eggs were easily found and consumed by villagers, a practice that has since changed due to Yee's influence.