HUNDREDS OF TURTLES IN CIREBON TOURIST RESORT DIE

Sumber, Mar 10 (ANTARA) - Hundreds of turtles in the Cikuya tourist resorts, Belawa village, Lemah Abang subdistrict, Cirebon regency, West Java, had died suddenly caused by still mysterious bacteria.

Riki, Cikuya caretaker, said the death of the turtles considered sacred by the local population came since last month.

Riki said one of the turtles was very big and appeared to be the oldest among the rest, estimated to be almost 150 years old. It had a shell with a diameter of 120 cm.

"Before it died it had a strange disease, it became suddenly blind and bleeding eyes. Then it refused to eat, and eventually died," Riki said.

Some of the other turtles averagely 120 years old, also died mysteriously, with their sexual organs often exposed, and refusing to eat.

"The number of the turtles which had perished had reached 250. After examining their internal organs, their heart appeared to be damaged. I do not know what causes it," Riki said.

Right now he said only 17 of them were left in the Belawa tourist resort, Riki said, and only 11 them were still healthy, with the rest already to have been affected by the strange disease.