Discovery of world’s largest colony of leatherback sea turtle may see species removed from critically endangered list

The world’s largest colony of leatherback sea turtles has been identified by scientists, raising hopes that the giant creature may not be as endangered as previously thought. A new survey [PDF] has revealed that Gabon, west Africa, has between 15,730 and 41,373 female turtles using its nesting beaches.

Matthew Witt of the University of Exeter, who led the research, said: “We knew that Gabon was an important nesting site for leatherback turtles but [...]