Largest Nesting Population Of Leatherback Turtles Is Found in Gabon

The world’s largest nesting population of the critically endangered leatherback turtle has been found along the 372-mile coastline of Gabon in Central Africa. In a study spanning 6 years, researchers from the University of Exeter in the UK and the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society estimated a population of 16,000 to 41,000 nesting females along the Gabon coastline. That discovery significantly increases the worldwide estimate of populations of leatherback turtles, which the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified as critically endangered. The study, published in the journal Biological Conservation, noted that one reason the leatherback population is thriving in Gabon is because roughly 80 percent of its nesting areas lie with parks and protected areas; Gabon has one of the most extensive national park networks in the world. The leatherback is the world’s largest sea turtle, growing to 6.5 feet in length and 1,200 pounds.