Dr Chen Pelf Nyok is a freshwater turtle researcher and conservationist. Her research interests are the biology and ecology of the river terrapins—a rare species of freshwater turtles only found in Southern Thailand, Cambodia and Peninsular Malaysia. In 2011, Dr Chen co-founded the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS), a non-profit and non-governmental organisation dedicated to freshwater turtle conservation in Malaysia. Dr Chen conducts numerous Turtle Education programmes with school students, as well as Turtle Discovery Trips for members of the public. She currently leads the community-based terrapin conservation project in Kemaman, Terengganu, and was very recently awarded the Commonwealth Points of Light from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for the turtle conservation efforts. She is also a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group.

Dr. Chen Pelf Nyok, Pengasas Bersama & Pengarah Eksekutif. Persatuan Pemuliharaan Tuntung, Kura-kura dan Penyu Malaysia. Dr. Chen merupakan seorang penyelidik. Bidang kajian yang diminati termasuklah biologi dan ekologi tuntung sungai, iaitu salah satu spesies kura-kura air tawar yang jarang ditemui yang hanya dijumpai di selatan Thailand, Kemboja dan Semenanjung Malaysia. Pada tahun 2011, beliau mengasaskan Persatuan Pemuliharaan Tuntung, Kura-kura dan Penyu Malaysia (Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia, TCS), sebuah organisasi bukan kerajaan yang ditubuhkan khas untuk pemuliharaan tuntung air tawar di Malaysia. Beliau lebih dikenali sebagai “Mek Tuntung” di kalangan penduduk setempat. Pelf telah menganjurkan banyak Program Pendidikan Tuntung, Kura-kura dan Penyu dengan pelajar-pelajar sekolah. Beliau juga menganjurkan program “Turtle Discovery Trip” yang membolehkan orang ramai mengenali spesies tuntung, kura-kura dan penyu yang dijumpai di Malaysia. Beliau kini merupakan Ketua projek pemuliharaan tuntung sungai yang berasaskan penglibatan masyarakat setempat di Kemaman. Baru-baru ini beliau diberikan anugerah “Komanwel Points of Light” oleh Ratu Elizabeth II atas usaha pemuliharaan tuntung yang dijalankan. Beliau juga merupakan ahli Kumpulan Pakar Kura-kura dan Tuntung Air Tawar Antarabangsa (IUCN).

Click on the button below to read a New Straits Times report about Dr Pelf and the work she and her husband do to help terrapins.

Click on the button below to watch a video about the "Guardians of the Terrapins".

The villagers of Kampung Pasir Gajah in Terengganu know that the Turtle Conservation Society of Malaysia (TCS) not only saves turtles and terrapins, it benefits the villagers too. These villagers often have few economic options, and they poach eggs from turtles - even endangered ones - to make a living. But through the education and involvement of TCS, a non-profit that focuses on the conservation of freshwater turtles and terrapins, the villagers have found a new source of income doing the opposite of egg poaching. In fact, some of the villagers have fallen in love with the turtles and terrapins (who can blame them?) and now work hard to conserve and protect them.

Click on the button below to visit Dr Chen's conservation website: