133:, Myanmar, to U Nyunt Thein and Daw San San. Her father was a government engineer involved in the construction of hydroelectric dams. She accompanied him to work sites where she witnessed construction workers collecting turtles in pits. She was fascinated by the variety of species but recoiled in horror when the turtles were pulled from the pit, butchered and cooked by the camp chef.
269:
Platt received the Behler Turtle
Conservation Award in 2015. The Assistant Director General of the Myanmar Forest Department remarked that the "TSA/WCS efforts on behalf of turtles is without exception the most effective conservation program in the country, and much of this success was due to the
210:
of
Myanmar. Efforts to conserve the Arakan forest turtle have been limited due to instability in the region. According to Platt, "Although we have been educating the public about the Arakan tortoise, we are not able to carry out conservation and education activities as before due to political
187:) and found that the people had "strong, highly localised beliefs that these animals have spiritual powers, including the ability to transform into humans." The study found a hesitation to disturb or harvest the turtles due to the belief that they are under the protection of spirits known as
214:
In 2010, Platt was hired to be the
Director of the Myanmar Program of the Turtle Survival Alliance. Platt oversees conservation, breeding and reintroduction projects for some of Southeast Asia's rarest turtle species. One of her earliest conservation efforts involved organising a national
410:
Platt, Steven G.; Naing Aung, Swann Htet; Soe, Me Me; Lwin, Tint; Platt, Kalyar (12 May 2021). "Predation on
Translocated Burmese Star Tortoise (Geochelone platynota) by Asiatic Jackals (Canis aureus) and Wild Pigs (Sus scrofa) at a Wildlife Sanctuary in Myanmar".
930:
The pond is small and the number of turtles is huge. People capture the turtles which are living freely in their natural environment and sell them to pilgrims to release into the ponds for good merit. How would one feel if they were forced to live in such cramped
112:
and turtle conservationist. She is the director of the
Myanmar Program of the Turtle Survival Alliance and oversees conservation, breeding and reintroduction projects for some of Southeast Asia's rarest turtle species. She formerly worked for
888:
Platt, Kalyar; Platt, Steven G.; Thirakhupt, Kumthorn; Rainwater, Thomas R. (December 2008). "Recent
Records and Conservation Status of the Critically Endangered Mangrove Terrapin, Batagur baska, in Myanmar".
315:
Platt, Kalyar; Platt, Steven G.; Thirakhupt, Kumthorn; Rainwater, Thomas R. (December 2008). "Recent
Records and Conservation Status of the Critically Endangered Mangrove Terrapin, Batagur baska, in Myanmar".
439:
Platt, Kalyar; Lin, Naing; Myo, Khin; Platt, Steven; Nwe, San; Yu, Thin; Khaing, Lay; Naing, Thet. (2022). "Birds of the
Chindwin River and adjacent areas of the Chin and Naga Hills in western Myanmar." 33.
653:
Platt, Steven G.; Myo, Khin Myo; Ko, Win Ko; Maung, Aung; Rainwater, Thomas R. (June 2010). "Field
Observations and Conservation of Heosemys depressa in the Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range of Western Myanmar".
227:
and releasing 1000 of the turtles into the wild from 2013 to 2017. Following the success of the program at the
Minsontaung Wildlife Sanctuary, reintroduction programs for the tortoises were created at the
281:
for her work in turtle conservation. In 2017, she received a grant for the reintroduction and conservation of the Burmese star tortoise. In 2021, she received a grant for the repatriation of confiscated
600:
251:. In 2015, she conducted a release of hatchlings that had been captively reared from eggs collected from wild turtles. She also established a third assurance colony for the turtles and worked with the
866:
140:
in 1995. She earned her M.Sc. from the same university in 2000. Fearing that the Burmese military junta would close the universities, she moved to Bangkok in 2001. Platt earned her PhD in 2007 from
759:
697:
223:) and developing a plan detailing how and where to reintroduce the species. She re-engineered the conservation program for the tortoise, establishing a captive breeding program at
460:, the traditional Buddhist practice of saving animals destined for slaughter, is often performed at pagoda ponds by visiting pilgrims who have purchased caged turtles.
592:
194:
In 2009, she was part of a team of scientists that, after nearly a decade of searching, rediscovered a population of wild specimens of the critically endangered
266:
to establish the island's first turtle hatchery, train staff in hatchery management, and reassess the suitability of the island's beaches for sea turtle nests.
858:
728:
631:
570:
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751:
689:
804:
539:
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Platt, Kalyar; Platt, Steven G.; Rainwater, Thomas R. (December 2014). "First Record of the Spiny Turtle ( Heosemys spinosa ) in Myanmar".
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in Thailand in 2001. She said that her decision to work in wildlife conservation was influenced by the career of primatologist
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in 2019, Platt made an argument against releasing turtles at pagoda ponds and pleaded for people to stop the practice.
152:) under the biologist Kumthorn Thirakhupt. She then moved to the United States with her husband and lived briefly in
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236:. By 2018, the population of Burmese star tortoises in forest reserves had increased to 15,000.
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before moving to New York. She lived with her sisters and worked at an orchid farm.
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Phyo Wai Kyaw (17 July 2018). "Population of rare star tortoises rises to 15,000".
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420:
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690:"Arakan mountain tortoises face extinction in next decade: conservation group"
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of Myanmar in 2008 concerning local beliefs towards the critically endangered
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109:
457:
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593:"Woman in conservation interview: Kalyar Platt, Turtle Survival Alliance"
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83:
859:"Kalyar Platt receives the 10th Annual Behler Turtle Conservation Award"
376:"Global Conservation Status of Turtles and Tortoises (Order Testudines)"
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494:
424:
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721:"Slow and Steady, a Tortoise Is Winning Its Race With Extinction"
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37:
752:"My patrol with armed guards to protect Burmese star tortoises"
130:
924:"Freeing turtles into pagoda ponds does more harm than good".
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314:
563:"Myanmar monk offers temple sanctuary for threatened snakes"
797:"World's second most endangered turtle on road to recovery"
373:
305:
Platt married fellow herpetologist Steven Platt in 2004.
409:
274:, Indomitable Turtle Lady, of Myanmar, Kalyar Platt."
374:
Rhodin, Anders G.J.; et al. (18 December 2018).
495:"Kalyar Platt – Saving Imperiled Turtles in Myanmar"
344:
941:
803:. Wildlife Conservation Society. 10 April 2015.
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865:(in Burmese). Wildlife Conservation Society.
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164:Platt started her conservation career at the
624:"Conserving wildlife, preserving traditions"
259:to increase their production of hatchlings.
144:in Bangkok. She studied the ecology of the
124:
16:Burmese herpetologist and conservationist
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308:
136:She earned her B.Sc. with honours from
68:Behler Turtle Conservation Award (2015)
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869:from the original on 14 December 2022
838:from the original on 14 December 2022
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807:from the original on 14 December 2022
762:from the original on 14 December 2022
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270:unceasing labors of one person, the
857:Wong, Ramacandra (23 August 2015).
828:"The Wildlife Conservation Society"
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622:Tu-Maung, Nicole (18 August 2019).
277:Platt has received grants from the
13:
891:Chelonian Conservation and Biology
656:Chelonian Conservation and Biology
536:"Explorer Directory: Kalyar Platt"
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413:Chelonian Conservation and Biology
383:Chelonian Conservation and Biology
347:Chelonian Conservation and Biology
318:Chelonian Conservation and Biology
117:and earned her PhD from Bangkok's
14:
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561:Aung, Thu Thu (4 December 2020).
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501:. December 2015. pp. 64–65.
262:In late 2015, Platt travelled to
597:Asian Species Action Partnership
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239:Platt oversaw the collection of
980:Chulalongkorn University alumni
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538:. National Geographic Society.
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225:Minsontaung Wildlife Sanctuary
215:conservation workshop for the
1:
750:Klein, Alice (16 June 2017).
719:Yin, Steph (4 October 2017).
467:
234:Lawkananda Wildlife Sanctuary
230:Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary
166:Wildlife Conservation Society
115:Wildlife Conservation Society
94:Wildlife Conservation Society
253:Yadanabon Zoological Gardens
7:
975:University of Yangon alumni
279:National Geographic Society
204:Rakhine Yoma Elephant Range
129:Kalyar was born in 1972 in
34:1972 (age 51–52)
10:
1001:
826:Poole, Colin (July 2018).
293:During a presentation on
288:Platysternon megacephalum
175:Platt led a study in the
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79:
72:
64:
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30:
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694:Burma News International
499:Turtle Survival Magazine
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142:Chulalongkorn University
125:Early life and education
119:Chulalongkorn University
58:Chulalongkorn University
181:Northern river terrapin
146:Southern river terrapin
290:) to protected areas.
696:. 14 September 2021.
309:Selected publications
241:Burmese roofed turtle
217:Burmese star tortoise
965:Women herpetologists
832:Globerovers Magazine
221:Geochelone platynota
196:Arakan forest turtle
960:Burmese biologists
903:10.2744/CCB-0701.1
725:The New York Times
668:10.2744/CCB-0813.1
425:10.2744/CCB-1461.1
395:10.2744/CCB-1348.1
359:10.2744/CCB-1082.1
330:10.2744/CCB-0701.1
284:big-headed turtles
245:Batagur trivittata
177:Tanintharyi Region
926:The Myanmar Times
783:The Myanmar Times
599:. 27 April 2021.
200:Heosemys depressa
138:Yangon University
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74:Scientific career
53:Yangon University
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985:Conservationists
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897:(2): 261–265.
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249:Chindwin River
247:) eggs at the
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801:ScienceDaily
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170:Jane Goodall
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106:Kalyar Platt
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90:Institutions
73:
25:Kalyar Platt
18:
950:1972 births
931:conditions?
873:14 December
842:14 December
811:14 December
766:14 December
735:14 December
704:14 December
638:14 December
607:14 December
577:14 December
546:11 December
509:14 December
84:Herpetology
944:Categories
468:References
389:(2): 135.
264:Lanbi Kyun
55:(BSc, MSc)
433:235599007
202:) in the
121:in 2007.
49:Education
911:84454944
867:Archived
836:Archived
805:Archived
760:Archived
729:Archived
698:Archived
676:86775422
632:Archived
601:Archived
571:Archived
540:Archived
503:Archived
403:91937716
367:84353064
338:84454944
257:Mandalay
567:Reuters
206:in the
42:Myanmar
38:Rangoon
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440:64–76.
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160:Career
131:Yangon
80:Fields
65:Awards
907:S2CID
672:S2CID
445:Notes
429:S2CID
419:(1).
399:S2CID
379:(PDF)
363:S2CID
334:S2CID
60:(PhD)
875:2022
844:2022
813:2022
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232:and
189:nats
31:Born
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