With its distinctive pale eyespots and secretive behavior, the Beale’s Eyed Turtle (Sacalia bealei) inhabits forested streams and tributaries in southeastern China, including Hong Kong, where it is endemic. They depend on both freshwater and surrounding terrestrial habitats to survive.
Yet this species is also especially vulnerable. Beale’s Eyed Turtles (BET) grow slowly, mature late, and reproduce at a very low rate—typically laying just one clutch per year, with an average of only 2.2 eggs. These life-history traits make it difficult for populations to recover once numbers have drastically declined. One of the species’ known breeding populations persists in Hong Kong, with fewer than 100 individuals.
A species under growing pressure
Classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and protected under national and regional lists, these turtles face a range of severe threats. These range from poaching and the presence of non-native turtle species to human disturbances and critical data and knowledge gaps. These and other threats must be addressed to effectively conserve this species.
Against this backdrop, a planning process took place to bring together the institutions and expertise required to plan a future for the species in Hong Kong.
A collaborative planning process
In June 2024, a four-day conservation planning workshop was convened in Hong Kong to develop a shared conservation strategy for the BET. The workshop was organized by Ocean Park Hong Kong and supported by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD). The workshop was designed and facilitated by Paul Bamford (CPSG Facilitator, Chester Zoo) and Fabiana Lopez Rocha (CPSG | CSS Brazil).
The workshop brought together 26 participants from 10 institutions, including government agencies, academic institutions, NGOs, and herpetological and zoological groups. Participants worked through four days of facilitated collaborative planning to identify threats, define priorities, and agree on coordinated actions.
A shared vision and an integrated strategy
Through the workshop process, participants agreed on a shared vision for the species:
BET populations are thriving and fulfilling integral ecological roles, and are well-protected through multi-agency collaboration and community participation, with Hong Kong being a stronghold for the species and a successful model for endangered species conservation.
This vision was translated into an Integrated Conservation Strategy which combines in situ and ex situ approaches and is structured for adaptive implementation to safeguard the species’ future. Among the core challenges they identified are ongoing opportunistic poaching, risks from non-native and hybrid turtles introduced through pet abandonment and mercy release, and localized habitat degradation, among others detailed in the report. The vision and the challenges identified translated into 41 targeted actions under eight objectives. The overarching aim is to reverse population decline and to secure habitats through coordinated actions, enforcement, and community engagement.
Together, these actions aim to reverse population decline and secure the habitats on which the species depends, while also strengthening enforcement, coordination, public awareness, and long-term conservation capacity. To support the strategy’s implementation over the coming five years, the team also established a governance framework for the strategy, jointly coordinated by Ocean Park Hong Kong and Lingnan University. During the next five years, the team aims to establish a robust and holistic foundation to secure a viable future for the Beale’s Eyed Turtle.
